A 17-year-old student brought a loaded gun to Eastside High School just 13 days after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in a school shooting, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies assigned to Eastside High School took a loaded black revolver with ivory-colored grips out of the student’s backpack after faculty found it. School faculty smelled marijuana coming from a bathroom and sent him and another student to the dean’s office at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, said ACSO Sgt. Brett Rhodenizer.
The student struggled briefly to get away from ACSO deputies after they found the gun, Rhodenizer said. After his arrest, he declined to tell detectives why he brought the gun to school.
Rhodenizer said the student was a delinquent before today’s incident but hadn’t made any threats to the school. His name was not released by officials due to his age.
“We believe the firearm was related to other criminal activity and not brought in as a threat to the school,” Rhodenizer said.
Alachua County Public Schools spokesperson Jackie Johnson said the student is a junior at the high school. The protocol for these incidents is the student is automatically suspended for 10 days and recommended for expulsion.
The student was arrested on charges of possession of a firearm on school property and possession of a firearm by a delinquent. He was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center.
Contact Robert Lewis at rlewis@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @Lewis__Robert.
Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said a 17-year-old student brought this loaded black revolver with ivory-colored grips to Eastside High School on Tuesday. Officials said he made no threats to the school.
