Mother arrested at school

In a twist seldom seen by Clark County School District police, an angry mother, not a juvenile, was accused of brandishing a handgun at Canyon Springs High School students on Wednesday morning.

Alicia Mallard, 41, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and charged with possession of a dangerous weapon on school property and aiming a firearm, school police spokesman Sgt. Ken Young said.

Young described the incident as "atypical."

Mallard escorted her daughter to school on Wednesday because the girl had gotten into a confrontation with other students at a bus stop on Tuesday, Young said. The investigation is ongoing, and Young said he did not have information on what started the fight.

"The mom got into a verbal altercation with students and then brandished a small-caliber handgun at them," Young said. "The gun was not loaded."

After Mallard's encounter with the students, Canyon Springs Principal Ronan Matthew said, she got back into her car, drove to the front of the school and entered the building, apparently with the gun. She was recognized by students who identified her to school police.

"She came to the school obviously looking for trouble," Matthew said.

The principal said his understanding was that Mallard was walking to the dean's office, intending to report that her daughter was being harassed.

"There is absolutely no justification for a parent to come to school, start an altercation and bring a dangerous weapon," Matthew said. "There is no excuse for that."

The incident is the latest to highlight the need for metal detectors on campus, Matthew said. If the North Las Vegas school had them, he said, Mallard might have thought twice about entering the building with a weapon.

"This is one of the main reasons I've been advocating for metal detectors," Matthew said. "I don't know why the school district isn't taking the matter seriously."

District officials agreed to study the issue when Matthew requested metal detectors in 2006 but then decided the research did not show they would be effective.

If metal detectors aren't an effective deterrent, Matthew questions why the district uses them at athletic events, or why airports require all travelers to pass through them.

"I've asked for metal detectors in no uncertain terms," Matthew said. "But that request has been ignored."

On Alexander Road and North Fifth Street, Canyon Springs is an area that has experienced high-profile neighborhood violence involving students. In December, six people were wounded in a school bus stop shooting. Four of the victims were from Mojave High School, which neighbors Canyon Springs. Shortly after the shooting, North Las Vegas police used pepper spray on Canyon Springs students to disperse a fight.

In Wednesday's incident, the fact that a parent was the one bringing a gun to the fight is frightening, Matthew said. Parents are the ones who should be setting an example.

"It sends the wrong message," he said.

Contact reporter Lisa Kim Bach at lbach@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0287.