Ohio High School Bans Book Bags Over Concealed Firearm Fears

Niles McKinley High School in Niles, Ohio, banned students from bringing book bags onto school grounds Wednesday amid firearm fears.

The Niles Mckinley school system announced that effective immediately book bags will no longer be allowed inside the school, but that "small purses" and lunch boxes will be permitted -- although open to search, WFMJ-TV reports. This comes after Niles Police Captain John Marshall says a student was removed from school grounds over an alleged threat.

"In light of recent events across the country, it has been brought to the district's attention some students do not feel comfortable while at school. The Niles City School District takes its job of ensuring the safety and well being of its students very seriously. Not only does the Niles City School District employ a full-time school resource officer, it works very closely with local law enforcement," the school announced Wednesday afternoon.

Captain Marshall told WFMJ-TV that he would not detail anything about the gender or age of the suspect removed from school grounds earlier in the day. Although he did note that the student was an upperclassmen.

This is not the first case of U.S. school's banning book bags in the wake of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglass school shooting last week that left 17 dead.

In Michigan, students at Ionia Middle School near Grand Rapids will have to put their bags into lockers at the beginning of the school day and leave them there until classes are out. The policy, which will go into effect on February 26, comes after Nikolas Cruz, 19, carried his weapon and extra ammunition into the school using a black duffel bag and black backpack.