After Concealing Loaded Gun In Purse, Lakeland High Teen Arrested

LAKELAND, FL — A 17-year-old girl is being held in a juvenile assessmen facility after Lakeland police said she brought a loaded handgun to Lakeland High School concealed in her purse.

On Feb. 22 at 6:51 a.m. , school resource officers assigned to Lakeland High, 726 Hollingsworth Road, were monitoring random student searches conducted by school administrators on buses at the bus loop on the school property when they discovered the handgun in the teen's purse. Officers said the handgun was loaded.

The student was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm on school property and illegally carrying a concealed weapon. Police said they are unaware of any threats made to students or staff at the school.

The following message was sent to parents of students at all Polk County public schools:

"This message is being sent on behalf of Lakeland High School. All students and staff are safe. This morning we conducted a random search at school and found a student in possession of a firearm. No one was threatened with the weapon. The student has been taken into custody and is facing serious legal consequences. As always, we thank our law enforcement partners for helping us conduct these searches and keeping our campus safe."