Highlands Middle School student arrested for bringing gun on to campus

Jacksonville, FL — A 14-year-old has been arrested for bringing a stolen gun on to school grounds.

The arrest report for the suspect says the gun was not loaded, although the magazine- with a live round- was found hidden in a bathroom at the school.

The Duval County Public School District sent a message to Highlands Middle School parents notifying them that nobody was harmed and everyone was safe, but this is nonetheless a serious situation.

The message says a staff member saw “concerning behavior” among two students near the football field Wednesday. The arrest report for the 14-year-old student shows he and another student were on the bleachers at a time they shouldn’t have been, and when a staff member starting approaching them, they both ran off. The suspect allegedly placed a handgun near a light pole, while fleeing.

Both students initially claimed they had found the gun near the light pole, according to the arrest report. Police say the other students ultimately told them that the suspect talked about bringing the gun to school, and he had hidden it under the bleachers, which is where they retrieved it from.

Investigators say the gun was reported stolen out of Nassau County. The suspect student told police that he had found the gun in woods in Fernandina.

The student, who we are not naming because of his age, has been arrested for dealing in stolen property, possession of a firearm on school property, and possession of a firearm by a minor.

DCPS is asking for parents to be vigilant of what their children are bringing to school and to talk to their children about the serious safety concern a situation like this creates.