Manassas Park schools reopen Tuesday after loaded gun found on campus, teacher arrested

MANASSAS, Va. - Students in Manassas Park City Schools return to class Tuesday after officials closed all schools Monday following the discovery of a loaded handgun in a campus parking lot which led to the arrest of a high school teacher.

Manassas Park Police charged Veronica Gooch-Ray, an art teacher at Manassas Park High School from Potomac Falls, Virginia, with one count of possession of a firearm on school property. Authorities have not yet determined why the firearm was brought to campus, and a booking photograph was not immediately available.

The incident began around 6:30 a.m. Monday when a school transportation employee discovered a weapon on the ground between two division vans in the Manassas Park Middle School parking lot. School staff notified police, who inspected the weapon and confirmed it was a loaded handgun.

Officials made the decision to close all four schools, Manassas Park High School, Manassas Park Middle School, and nearby Manassas Park and Cougar Elementary Schools, out of an abundance of caution and to allow investigators to investigate.

In a statement Monday, school district officials announced that police concluded their investigation after determining the handgun belonged to a staff member and was no credible threat to the school community. The employee has been placed on leave in accordance with school policies, and district officials said that no further personnel details would be released. All Manassas Park City Schools will reopen on regular schedules Tuesday.