Medford Police Release McGlynn Gun Magazine Findings

MEDFORD, MA – The Medford Police Department has released its report on the investigation into the discovery of a gun magazine in the McGlynn Middle School auditorium last December. The magazine subsequently went missing and was not reported to police and city officials until mid-February.

The police department's investigation concluded McGlynn Principal Jake Edwards was "unreasonable" in his handling of the situation and found evidence to contradict his version of events. Edwards has been on paid administrative leave since February.

According to the report, a cleaning crew found the loaded magazine in the auditorium Dec. 29 and gave it to McGlynn custodian Daniel Tully, who put it in Edwards' office. Sometime between that day and 3 a.m. on Jan. 1, it was either lost or thrown out.

The report states that police found some of Edwards' testimony can be disproven by video and cell phone evidence, as well as interviews with other witnesses. Investigators concluded that Edwards did not immediately contact Tully or the cleaning crew when he was told the magazine was missing from his office, nor did he return to the school to look for it.

Police attempted to re-interview Edwards in late March. He told investigators he would be consulting an attorney and later declined the offer for another interview, according to the report.

The investigation also found that video surveillance at McGlynn needs to be upgraded and reporting protocol for incidents must be clarified. Part of the confusion was the lack of a clear policy for reporting ammunition as opposed to a weapon, which Superintendent Roy Belson told police was a "grey area."

Members of the staff who knew about the magazine told investigators they assumed someone else would call the police. For example, McGlynn Elementary School Principal Diane Guarino said she and Edwards believed Belson was "handling it" and Belson said in his interview that principals may call the police directly.

"It is clear from my investigation that this past practice created a situation of 'plausible deniability' of responsibility for all those involved as it pertains to this case," the report stated.

When the magazine was reported to police in February, the department conducted a sweep of all Medford schools and determined them to be safe. The school committee also voted to accept Belson's early retirement on April 30, a decision that was reversed this week.

The investigation did not determine how the magazine ended up in the auditorium or how it was lost.

Read the redacted report below:

McGlynn School Investigative Report by Alex Newman on Scribd

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