Aidan Rice enters a Door County courtroom March 18, 2024, on a charge he brought a gun to Gibraltar High School. PC: Fox 11 Online
STURGEON BAY (WLUK) – A high school student who said he was afraid of a former student so he brought a firearm to school property is not competent to stand trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Aidan Rice, 18, faces one count of possessing a firearms on grounds of a school for the March incident at Gibraltar High School.
The competency ruling means Rice does not understand the court proceedings, and cannot assist in his own defense. As a result, Judge David Weber put the case on hold while Rice gets psychiatric treatment. If he later deemed competent to stand trial, the case would resume.
The court will review the status of the case Oct. 24, court records show.
According to the criminal complaint, a teacher notified the school resource officer Rice may have a weapon. Rice initially denied it, but after a search, the .38 Ruger LCR revolver was discovered. It was loaded with five shells. Police also found six other bullets.
Rice said he was scared of (a former student) and he felt he needed protection. SRO Bemmann noted that (the former student) has not been at Gibraltar since at least November 2023,” the complaint states. “Rice admitted to bringing the gun to school, and that he knew it was illegal. Rice said that about a week prior, he was at Walmart with his mother, and while he was in the bathroom, (the former student) was pounding on the stall door. Rice said that he brought the gun to school in case he had to defend himself against (the former student),” the complaint states.
“One classmate said that during class on Thursday, March 14, 2024, Rice said something about someone chasing him in a park and then tapped on his jacket. The student said that when Rice did that, he heard what he thought might be coins in Rice’s pocket. The student explained that the more he thought about it, he thought Rice may have had a gun in his pocket because of the solid noise it made,” the complaint states.
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