An illegal immigrant minor was arrested last year for carrying a gun and allegedly threatening to kill a fellow student at a Virginia middle school. According to a new report, the suspect is allegedly affiliated with the violent international MS-13 gang, as sources with knowledge of the case told ABC 7 News.

The student, who entered the country illegally, is currently enrolled at Loudoun Valley High School, despite his May 2023 arrest in connection to the incident at Blue Ridge Middle School. Parents have expressed concerns about the safety of their children, but the school district has been criticized for its lack of transparency. However, the sheriff’s department confirmed it is taking the issue seriously, acknowledging MS-13 activity in the county while noting the complexity of the situation.

During a Loudoun County school board meeting on Monday, all seven board members declined to respond to questions about the illegal immigrant student. A reporter from the network was met with silence after asking, “Are you comfortable with a student attending Loudoun Valley High School this year who previously threatened to kill a fellow student and was arrested for carrying a gun?” and “What are you doing as a school board member to keep students safe from violence, gun violence, and gang activity at Loudoun Valley High School and other schools?”

An LCPS spokesperson issued a statement highlighting the district’s security measures but declined to comment on individual disciplinary cases.

“There is nothing more important to Loudon County Public Schools (LCPS) than the safety and welfare of its students and staff. The Division of Safety and Security, in conjunction with local law enforcement and public safety partners, has created a comprehensive safety and security plan to protect students, staff, and visitors. This plan includes multiple layers of redundancy, some visible, some not, to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone,” the spokesperson stated. “In order to ensure the integrity of its efforts, LCPS does not publicly discuss all aspects of the security plan. It is also LCPS practice not to publicly discuss an individual student’s discipline.”

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman confirmed the department’s awareness of the situation.

“I’m aware of your concern in this particular person,” Chapman said. “We’re doing everything we can within our power to monitor what’s going on, work within the system, and make sure that everybody who needs to know about this is informed. We’re doing everything, I think, that we can possibly do under the circumstances. Our job is to keep people safe, and we take that to heart.”

Chapman also confirmed the presence of MS-13 gang activity in the area but said he could not disclose details related to the student due to his juvenile status.

“Anybody that’s got ties, and anybody that might pose a threat to anybody else, concerns us,” Chapman added. “We investigate these things very carefully, but we have to work in conjunction with the schools… As for any particular threat or person, I can’t go into that because we’re dealing with juveniles, and there are limitations on what we can say.”

“We do have elements of MS-13 here in Loudoun County, and we try to stay informed,” Chapman said. “In Loudoun County, we have a strong school resource officer program, so we get to know the kids, who might be problematic, who they’re associating with, and we try to stay on top of it.”