Leechburg man charged with having knife that looks like gun on school property

LEECHBURG, Pa. — A Leechburg man is facing charges after he brought a knife that looked like a handgun onto school property Friday, authorities said.%

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The Leechburg Area School District superintendent told Channel 11 News that as soon as the man was spotted sitting on the sidewalk next to steps that lead to kindergarten classrooms, police were called.

The knife confiscated from Darrin Davenport, 19, was designed to look like a small, semi-automatic handgun covered in camouflage, police said.%

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"When I (saw) the picture, I'm like, 'OK, this is really scary. I'm glad I cyber-school my child,'" parent Denise Miller said.

Davenport's arrest comes three weeks after a Leechburg student brought a fully loaded, semi-automatic handgun into the high school and showed it to several students before being caught.

• RELATED: Student charged after bringing loaded, semi-automatic handgun to Leechburg HS

Police said the gun was chambered and ready to fire. Students and parents were alarmed.

"They do have a cop that patrols the school, which is a good thing, but definitely something else needs to be done; metal detectors or something," parent Greg Moore said.

The Leechburg police chief criticized the district about its response to the incident for not calling police right away and leaving the student unsecured in the principal's office.

Meanwhile, authorities have not given a motive for the knife incident.

The Leechburg police chief said his department continues to investigate the incident.

• RELATED: Student charged after bringing loaded, semi-automatic handgun to Leechburg HS

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