Crime

Teen Released After Allegedly Bringing Gun to Yoncalla High School

An 18-year-old Yoncalla student was arrested after allegedly bringing a gun to school earlier this month. Taylor Haydon Larson was released on the condition he stay away from campus. He faces two weapons charges after a video showing a pistol in a school bathroom led to his arrest.

Yoncalla High school (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

YONCALLA, Ore. – An 18-year-old Yoncalla student was arrested last week after investigators say he brought a firearm onto school grounds.

Taylor Haydon Larson was booked into the Douglas County Jail on Thursday night on suspicion of bringing a gun to Yoncalla High School earlier this month. He was released Friday afternoon under a court order that bars him from returning to the school until further notice.

During Larson’s arraignment, public defender James Summerville emphasized that his client had not been accused of a violent offense. “It’s not like he’s charged with a person crime,” Summerville told the court while requesting Larson’s conditional release.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the incident traces back to Oct. 9, when a pistol was reportedly present in a school bathroom. The situation only came to light a week later after a video surfaced showing a firearm being held inside the boys’ restroom. That video, shared among students, was eventually brought to the attention of school staff, who contacted law enforcement.

Deputies reviewed school surveillance footage to verify the video and identify the person believed to be responsible. They later arrested Larson at his home.

Larson was initially charged with possession of a firearm in a public building, carrying a concealed weapon, and first-degree disorderly conduct. The district attorney’s office dropped the disorderly conduct charge Friday morning but proceeded with the two weapons-related charges in Douglas County Circuit Court, where Larson is being tried as an adult.

“This isn’t the type of case we typically see,” Judge Jason Thomas said during the hearing, noting that Larson was likely unwelcome on school grounds regardless of the court’s order — a point Larson acknowledged.

Thomas granted conditional release on the agreement that Larson stay away from the school and report to the circuit court office immediately after the hearing. A future court date has not yet been set, but Larson has been directed to check in by phone next month.