A firearm was found inside a box of Halloween candy at KIPP DC Grow Academy’s Shaw Campus in Northwest Washington, prompting a police investigation just one day before Halloween. A staff member discovered the weapon Thursday, Oct. 29, while employees were preparing treats for young students.
The campus is located in the 400 block of P Street NW, with the school’s website listing its address as 421 P Street NW. The school serves children from pre-kindergarten through kindergarten, making the discovery particularly sensitive for families preparing to send young children to a campus where candy was being organized for a holiday event.
Staff secured the weapon before calling police
According to information provided by KIPP DC Grow Academy, employees followed safety procedures after finding the firearm. The weapon was secured before police were contacted, and officers arrived at approximately 2:50 p.m. Thursday after receiving a report.
The school said no students came into contact with the gun. Officials also reported no injuries. Families were notified about the incident, although the available information does not describe when or how that notification was delivered.
| Known detail | Information reported |
|---|---|
| Location | KIPP DC Grow Academy, Shaw Campus |
| School population | Pre-kindergarten through kindergarten |
| Discovery | During preparation of Halloween candy |
| Police response | Approximately 2:50 p.m. Thursday |
| Reported injuries | None |
How the gun entered the candy remains unknown
The central unanswered question is how the firearm came to be inside the candy box. Neither the owner of the weapon nor the person who placed it there has been identified. Police have not announced an arrest in connection with the discovery, and officials have not disclosed additional details about the firearm.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating. The known facts establish that the gun was found before candy was handed to students, but they do not explain where the box originated, how long the firearm had been inside it or whether anyone at the school knew it was there before the staff member’s inspection.
School event preparations interrupted
The discovery came as schools and communities around the country were preparing Halloween activities. At the Shaw Campus, staff were handling the treats ahead of distribution when the weapon was located. Because the gun was found during that preparation, no student encountered it, according to school officials.
That distinction is significant for the campus community. The incident involved a location serving children in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, but authorities have not reported any child handling the firearm, being exposed to it or suffering an injury. The school’s notification to families indicates that the administration treated the discovery as a matter requiring direct communication with parents and guardians.
- No students came into contact with the firearm.
- No injuries were reported.
- Staff secured the weapon and contacted police.
- The firearm’s ownership and its route into the candy box remain undetermined.
Investigation now shifts to the weapon’s path
With the immediate safety issue addressed, investigators must determine the chain of custody surrounding the candy box and identify who may have had access to it. The source information does not say whether the box was delivered to the school, purchased by the campus or brought in by another party. It also does not indicate whether investigators have identified witnesses or reviewed surveillance footage.
Those details could clarify whether the gun was placed in the box deliberately, entered accidentally or was carried there by someone unaware of its presence. For now, police have not publicly attributed responsibility to any individual, and no arrest has been reported.
Families await more information
For parents and guardians, the immediate facts are limited but clear: the firearm was found before distribution, no child touched it and no one was hurt. The broader circumstances remain unsettled while the Metropolitan Police Department conducts its inquiry.
KIPP DC Grow Academy has not been identified as the owner of the weapon, and the source material does not report any disciplinary action or change to the campus’s Halloween plans. Until police establish how the firearm reached the candy box, the discovery remains an isolated but serious safety incident at a school serving some of the district’s youngest students.
