A firearm was recovered at Lee’s Summit West High. How did it get there?
A community event in July led to a firearm being discovered in the Performing Arts Center at Lee’s Summit West High School on Tuesday morning, school district officials said in a statement sent to students and families.
Lee’s Summit police told district officials they believe a firearm was “misplaced” by an attendant of a community event hosted in the center in July. The attendant reported the firearm missing, giving their locations on the day they lost it, but school officials weren’t notified of a firearm search, Lee’s Summit R-7 Schools Superintendent Dr. David Buck said in the statement.
“At no point were school officials made aware of the possibility that a weapon may have been left on campus,” Buck said. “All students are safe, and there are no known issues at any other school in the district.”
The event was a play hosted by the Summit Theater Group, according to district spokesperson Katy Bergen. The group’s website showed it hosted a production of “9 to 5: The Musical” from July 11 to 13.
The Summit Theater Group did not reply to The Star’s request for comment.
The firearm was secured by Lee’s Summit West’s school resource officer, who researched the gun’s serial number, according to Lee’s Summit police spokesperson Chris Depue.
The gun was reported lost on July 11 at 11 p.m. The gun owner called Lee’s Summit police to make the report, Depue said.
The gun owner told police he had been at a local grocery store and a friend’s home before they both attended the play. It was at the play that the owner realized he no longer had possession of his weapon. The owner of the firearm searched the seats at the theater, retraced his steps, and called the grocery store before calling the police, Depue said.
The case is currently with Lee’s Summit police’s investigations unit.
Buck acknowledged the incident “is unsettling” and stated a thorough review is planned.
“Our schools are gun-free campuses, and at no point should a firearm have been brought onto our campus,” Buck said. “The safety and security of our students and staff is of the utmost importance in the district, and school officials are evaluating this situation with our police partners.”
District officials could not answer whether security was present for the play. According to district policy, the group using the facility is responsible for costs and arrangements for supervision and security.
Security can be requested and is facilitated by the district, usually through police, according to Bergen. But security is not required and Summit Theater Group did not request security, Bergen said.
Buck stressed his gratitude for the people who reported the firearm, and urged students and families to speak up when they need to.
“We are grateful to the individuals who immediately reported the weapon to administration so that this situation could be swiftly addressed,” he said. “I cannot overstate the importance of our districtwide emphasis on adults in our school system building strong, trusting relationships with students so that students feel comfortable and supported in “If you see something, say something.”
“We reinforce to our staff how important it is to be the trusted adult that a student can go to when they see or hear something that feels off or unsafe in our school environments.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM.
