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An 18-year-old man faces a felony charge after police say he planned to bring a loaded pistol to a night class at Scott Educational Center in Belton.
Cameron Kopfer was arrested Tuesday night before entering the educational center.
Belton police received a tip about Scott's alleged plan to bring the firearm to class, according to police.
The Cass County Prosecutor's Office charged Kopfer Wednesday with one count of felony unlawful use of a weapon. He remains in custody on a $10,000 bond.
The incident has left community members shaken but grateful that someone spoke up to prevent a potential tragedy.
"It's extremely scary," said Jennifer Lloyd, a grandparent who lives in the area. "You know, half these kids I've seen grow up in this community and it just terrifies me that it can happen so easily."
Lloyd said the incident highlights the need for community-based solutions to help young people.
"My immediate thought is we as a community need to come together and help these kids figure out how to deal with their pain and discomfort in other ways instead of immediately going to a gun," she said.
Belton High School students expressed shock that such an incident could happen in their community.
"You always see on like the internet and news other schools in the area, but you don't think it could be you," said Tristain, a Belton High School student. "So, when it does happen, it's shocking."
Another student, Collin, said he was relieved police intervened before anyone was hurt.
"I'm just glad that they caught him," Collin said.
Community members called the incident a close call.
"Yes, it was very close, and I'm glad that child spoke up to say, 'Hey that's not right.'" "Great job," Lloyd said.
Dylan, another Belton High student, emphasized the importance of reporting suspicious activity.
"If you hear something you have to say something," Dylan said. "So I'm glad he didn't not say something because that could've led to something bad."
Belton police officers were outside Scott Educational Center Thursday.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
