MONESSEN (KDKA) — Three football players from Monessen High School are facing charges after two guns and suspected drugs were allegedly discovered in some lockers.

It all began about 8 p.m. Thursday. While the team practiced on the field, the coaches conducted their own locker room search suspecting drugs might be found in players’ lockers.

What they found shocked them and they then called police.

“They had suspicion that there was possibly marijuana in the lockers so they took it upon themselves to search the lockers of the football players while the players were on the field,” Monessen Police Chief Mark Gibson said.

“At that time they located in one locker suspected marijuana, in another locker they located suspected heroin and a 22 caliber gun, in another locker they found a 9 millimeter gun.”

In a town with a proud football tradition, this news is hard for the community to accept. The police chief spoke for many today.

“It was real scary. I mean two guns on school property amongst other kids in the lockers and that facility are not locked so anybody had access to those lockers as far as other football players.”

The Monessen School District issued a statement which reads in part:

“The school district is very distraught over the current alleged situation. The school is doing an internal investigation but the legal matters have been handed over to the local authorities. Our top priority is the safety and security of all our students and staff.”

Stay with KDKA for more on this developing story.

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