Dade City Police Find AR-15 Rifle In Pasco High Student's Truck

DADE CITY, FL - Dade City police found an AR-15 rifle inside a Pasco High School student's truck on Friday morning, the Pasco school district reported. An 18-year-old senior at Pasco High School was arrested for bringing the rifle to school, police said.

Both the student and his truck have been removed from the high school campus. The high school is operating as normal, the school district said on its Facebook page. School officials said the gun was purchased Thursday night for recreational hunting.

The firearm was found in the student's truck by an administrator who was walking the parking lot, police said. The staff member saw shotgun shells in the bed of the truck and, after looking into the passenger compartment, saw a gun case on the seat. Contact was made with the student and the case was opened, revealing an AR-15 weapon and ammunition.

Dillon Nathanial Xynides of San Antonio was arrested and charged with possession of a weapon on school property, a third degree felony. Police said that, by all accounts, Xynides is said to be a very good young man with no prior disciplinary actions noted by school administration. He did post a video of the firearm on Snapchat Thursday evening, but there were no expressed threats made and the school was never placed in a lockdown, according to police. He was cooperative with investigators.

Police have met with Xynides' mother, who also has been cooperative. But Acting Police Chief James Walters reiterated the longstanding policy of zero tolerance when it comes to the presence of weapons on school property.

"We take the matters of school safety very seriously and feel a great obligation to establish and maintain a safe learning environment for all students and staff in our schools," Walters said. The chief also said: "we will not take any less chance in protecting the students in our schools than we would if they were our own children."

Police also made another arrest at the school Friday morning in a separate incident.

Here is the text of a phone message to Pasco High School parents.

"Hello Pirate families. I’m calling to let you know about two incidents that happened this morning. First, a student arrived at school agitated, and when Officer McDougal approached her, she became combative and was arrested for battery on a school board employee and battery on a law enforcement officer. Also, a staff member noticed shell casings in the bed of a student’s truck, so he looked inside the cab of the truck and saw a suspicious object. We called Dade City Police, and they opened the object, which was a gun case that contained an AR-15 rifle and ammunition. The student and his truck have been removed from campus. At no time was there a threat against the school or anyone affiliated with the school. It is our understanding that the gun was purchased last night for recreational hunting. We are continuing normal operations and everyone is safe, but I wanted you to hear about this before it is reported on the news."

Walters asks parents to take an active role in monitoring their children's behavior, knowing what is going on with their lives and relationships, and especially being aware of dangerous activities related to weapons of any kind. Parents must stay fully engaged in the activities of their children and seek help when they see any signs of a problem, Walters said.

Image via Pasco Sheriff