Stolen Guns In Christian County Sold On School Property In Bolivar

Three teenagers that were in possession of stolen property are in big trouble with authorities in three different counties.

Hickory County Sheriff, Ray Tipton, alerted law agencies that someone had come into his office and attempted to register a stolen handgun. Tipton says that when a deputy ran the gun for registration it came back as stolen out of Christian County.

Christian County Sheriff's Department Captain, Jeremy Whitehill, said "two acquaintances of the gun owner who lives near Nixa stole nine guns as well as a car stereo and several BB guns."

After questioning several students about the gun theft, Bolivar police chief Michael Seibert said, "We found a number of kids at the high school who had bought guns from one of the juveniles." After further questioning of the students, police found guns in the trunk of one of the kids mother's," Seibert said. "Two of the guns were purchased before football practice on September 27th, and possibly on school property during the week," according to Chief Seibert.

Having possession of guns and selling them on school property violates the Safe Schools Act.“When you have open lines of communication between departments, these things work out well,” Whitehill said. “We have to give a lot of credit to the Hickory County Sheriff’s Department and the Bolivar Police Department.”

According to the Superintendent of the Bolivar School District, Steve Morgan, when the Safe Schools act is violated, the range of punishment is a 180-day suspension from school and it could go all the way up to permanent expulsion. The students, however, have a chance to appeal that.

Chief Seibert is thankful about one thing, "we were lucky enough to come across the guns, what would have ended up happening with them, no one knows."