A 14-year-old student at Freedom High School in Tampa has been accused of bringing a stolen and loaded gun, as stated by the Tampa Police Department.
The firearm was discovered in the student’s bag on Monday morning. There were no reported threats made towards the school or fellow students.
During the morning, a school staff member approached a student leaving a restroom after receiving reports of students smoking inside.
The student, whose name is being withheld due to their age, initially hesitated to surrender the bag, but the staff member managed to retrieve it.
Subsequently, the student was instructed to go to the office. However, he fled from the school, according to the police.
Upon searching the bag, a staff member uncovered a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun along with an 11-round magazine. The police have confirmed that the gun had been reported stolen from Orange County.
“We are deeply concerned about this situation and thankful that the gun was not used,” Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “We are actively investigating how the teen obtained the gun. We must all do our part in keeping our youth safe and away from firearms, and I urge everyone in our community to join us in this effort.”
The student’s mother was notified about the incident and accompanied the student to a Tampa Police Department facility, where he was apprehended, as per TPD.
He faced charges for having a firearm on school premises and being a minor in possession of a firearm.
