Loaded Gun Found In Student's Backpack: Cops

LAKELAND, FL — A 17-year-old student at George Jenkins High School was arrested Wednesday for allegedly bringing a loaded handgun into the Lakeland school. A school resource officer discovered the 9 mm pistol in the teenager's backpack after receiving a tip, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

"The sheriff's office school resource deputy immediately responded to [the student's] classroom and detained him," the sheriff's office explained. "During a search, the 9mm handgun was found in his backpack along with an extra loaded magazine."

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Patch is withholding the student's name because of his age. He was charged with possession of firearm with altered serial number, possession of a firearm by a juvenile and disruption of a school function. The student was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.

The sheriff's office said the student had previously been arrested for two residential burglaries, grand theft and petit theft. He admitted to carrying the weapon but claimed to have found it recently on school grounds.

"We have an absolute zero tolerance for weapons of any kind at school," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd asserted. "I thank the tipster who alerted the school to the gun and commend the school personnel and our deputy for acting quickly and decisively."

"In this incident, our students did exactly as we instruct them to do; they saw something and they said something," Judd explained. "Then, our staff immediately followed procedures and contacted law enforcement."

Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Jacqueline M. Byrd praised students and staff for their handling of the incident.

"Our student did exactly as we instruct them to do; They saw something and they said something. Then, our staff immediately followed procedures and contacted law enforcement," Byrd said. "Our partners at the Polk County Sheriff's Office responded swiftly and thoroughly, which allowed us to resume normal operations as quickly as possible and with the assurance we were doing so in a safe learning environment."

A gunman killed 17 students and faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentine's Day in what was one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history.

Since then, schools across Florida and the United States have placed a heightened emphasis on school security.

Photo courtesy Polk County Public Schools