OPA-LOCKA, FLA. (WSVN) - A student at an Opa-Locka high school was arrested after he brought an unloaded gun to campus, school administrators said.
Patrick Evans, the principal at Beacon College Prep, said he received an anonymous tip at around 9:25 a.m. on Friday that the student had a gun on his possession.
Evans said the student was told to pack up his belongings and informed that he would be going home. The student was then taken into the principal’s office with his belongings.
The student was searched and the unloaded handgun was recovered inside his backpack.
The principal said the student told him he had packed the gun because he was going to spend the weekend at a relative’s home in Liberty City and wanted to protect himself.
In a statement sent to 7News. Evans wrote, “The student told school officials that he did not intend to use the gun at school.”
Evans said he looped in the Opa-Locka Police Department. Officers responded to the school and took the student into custody.
In his statement, Evans wrote, “We applaud the heroism of the student who tipped off school officials.”
Parents who came to pick up their children Friday afternoon were shocked by the arrest.
“I’m speechless. That’s news to me,” said a woman.
“I’m going to talk to my kids today and see what’s going on, see, like, if they know anything about it,” said parent Senicio Vann.
This is not the first time a gun has been brought to a South Florida school with the academic year just starting.
Last week, 17-year-old Richaun Erick McKnight was arrested for allegedly bringing a loaded gun to Miramar High School.
Two other students were arrested for allegedly making threats online aimed at Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines.
The teens, identified as Alejandro Gonzalez and David Barrows, appearing before a judge with their parents.
“I love my son, and he’s making really bad decisions, and I think me and his mom just need some help getting him on the right path,” said Alejandro Gonzalez Sr., Gonzalez’s father.
Back at Beacon College Prep, an email sent to parents Friday afternoon reads in part, “The student was arrested, and we are following the appropriate protocols to have the student permanently removed from Beacon College Prep. The safety of all students is our most sacred responsibility at Beacon College Prep … We have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to weapons to ensure that our school is safe and secure … I can assure you that the situation is well under control and our school will be continuing with a regular dismissal today.”
“It’s crazy, so you’ve got to prepare your kids, talk to them every day and just hope for the best,” said Vann.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.