Student Charged After Bringing Gun To Plant City Middle School

PLANT CITY, FL — A student is facing charges after authorities said he brought a gun to a Plant City middle school.

Hillsborough County deputies responded to Tomlin Middle School on Thursday after receiving a call about an armed student on campus. After investigating, authorities said deputies learned a 14-year-old boy had displayed what a witness believed to be a gun.

Detectives later learned the teen had been suspended from school on Wednesday and was not allowed on campus. They also spoke with the student, who authorities said admitted to bringing a pepper ball gun to the school and showing it to the witness.

Detectives later went to the teen's home, where they recovered the pepper ball handgun.

“There is no excuse for this kind of behavior. If you bring a weapon or anything that looks like a weapon near a school, expect to be arrested and prosecuted,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.

He continued, “Behavior like this creates fear, disrupts learning, and has the potential to end in tragedy. I am grateful for the swift response of our star deputies and the witness who spoke up so we could act quickly to keep students and staff safe.”

The student was arrested and charged with trespassing on school grounds and armed trespass of a structure.

The incident remains under investigation.