Student arrested with 1500 fentanyl pills at Horizon Middle School in Moorhead on Dec. 11, 2025. (Moorhead Police Department)
MOORHEAD (KFGO) — A Horizon Middle School student was arrested for bringing potentially deadly drugs onto school property.
Moorhead Police say it was handled swiftly and safely by school staff and the School Resource Officer, with no disruption to the school day on Thursday, Dec. 11.
A 13-year-old boy was taken into custody without incident. Moorhead Police Chief Chris Helmick says 1,500 suspected fentanyl pills were seized and the boy is being held at the Clay County Juvenile Detention Center for first-degree possession of a controlled substance.
Moorhead Police Chief Chris Helmick and Moorhead Area Public Schools Superintendent Brandon Lunak discuss a fentanyl bust at Horizon Middle School on Dec. 11, 2025.
At a news conference on Dec. 12, Helmick held back tears describing this as a “very serious” incident that is “extremely dangerous with a very high likelihood of being fatal.”
“Dr. Lunak and I are both in agreement that we’ve had enough of this. Parents and our students have had enough of this and it’s got to stop. I’ve got kids in Horizon as well and this is a wake up call for all of us,” Helmick said.
Police say the blue pills would likely sell for about $25 per pill, and the estimated street value of the drugs would be more than $35,000. How the teen got the pills and whether any were distributed to other students is under investigation.
Helmick says the Moorhead Police Department will start conducting random K9 searches at Horizon Middle School and Moorhead High School on a regular basis.
Superintendent Brandon Lunak says another student alerted school staff to the pills. Lunak called the student’s actions courageous and emphasized that the student did the right thing by coming forward.
Lunak and Helmick both encouraged parents to talk with their kids about the seriousness of the situation.
“I would also challenge parents to do their part. Talk to your kids, know what your kids are doing, help them be aware of the potential risks,” Helmick said. “Police and schools cannot do this alone and we all have a role to play to keep our students and school staff safe.”
Due to privacy laws, the student’s identity and additional details of the case are not being released at this time.
All Moorhead Police officers carry Narcan, which can help save someone in the event of an opioid overdose. Narcan is also in all Moorhead Public Schools.
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