This is a joint release by the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office and the School Board of Highlands County.
An Avon Park High School student was arrested today after a disassembled handgun was found in his backpack following a scuffle with school staff and school resource deputies.
At 10:36 a.m., the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that a student was acting suspiciously off campus and was last seen headed toward the school.
The student, a 16-year-old male, then entered the campus and checked in at the school. He was then taken out of a classroom for questioning.
As the student was being escorted to the office, he began to fight school staff, which is when school resource deputies intervened.
A taser was used to subdue the student, and one of the school resource deputies suffered a slight cut on his arm. When the student’s backpack was searched, a disassembled handgun was discovered. There was a loaded magazine (separated from the firearm components) and a small baggie of what appeared to be marijuana.
The student is being charged possession of a weapon on school grounds, possession of a handgun by a person under 21, disruption of a school function, and resisting arrest with violence.
“This is why we preach ‘see something, say something’ every day,” Sheriff Paul Blackman said. “The system worked the way it is supposed to, which is why school staff and deputies were able to quickly identify this student and safely resolve the situation.”
I think gun safety and education in schools is a great thing, but I don’t see how it would prevent something like this. I don’t know more than the OP article but it doesn’t seem like education on firearms or allowing a hunting rifle on a pickup rack in the parking lot or whatever would change anything here
Peer pressure works for good and bad. If the kiddos as a whole understand firearms, and when to, not not to, use them, they’d likely know what was going on with potential loose cannons or their peers who are troubled.
The coddling and participation trophies for all needs to stop. These kids today don’t know how to handle setbacks and adversity. When suddenly things don’t go their way, they lash out violently instead of rationally because they have no reasonable reference points for real life.
I am going to have to disagree with Firearm Safety Education in schools, and my reasoning is quite frankly the students who are in todays schools are not the same as the students from the 1950s. It used to be that special needs children and children with severe mental issues were not mainstreamed with other students. Also they did not teach Firearm Safety Education at every US Public School in the 50s, they most certainly were not teaching it in segregated schools. So this idea that teaching children who are special needs, heavily medicated or just plain out degenerates whom are neglected by their parents how to properly handle a firearm is going to reduce the number of school shootings, is not going to happen. If anything it will open the door for more school shootings and we will be teaching the defective kid how to do it.
How does teaching children how to handle firearms result in fewer murder attempts?
I think it’s great for as many people as possible to know how firearms actually work and how to safely handle them but I am not following how that knowledge will change murderous intent/behavior (unless it’s because someone is able to ‘shoot back’ or they couldn’t get the gun because an educated person kept it locked up)
By educating them that guns are for saving lives. If they don’t want to learn that, they probably will not take the course. I am sure there are a lot of instructors here that know how to teach it.
@Nathan57 Sorry but their schedule is already filled with classes like Jeffie’s Two Daddies, Transitioning 101, CRT and all the rest.We would hate to teach them something actually practical. And if it is OK, I would add economics, family finance and civics to your list.
You Are against high school skeet teams?
segregated high schools do have skeet teams.
I took my firearm safety while I was a Boy Scout the class was held at the local junior high school…60’s
I’ve yet to see a school curriculum that offers a gun safety class…
People are no different now they were in the 50s the only thing that has changed now is the lack of parenting. children need rules. They need structure and discipline.
Changing the culture and changing the curriculum isn’t going to help in the short run. we need to harden, the schools and arm the teachers.
Then get a handle on the mental illness of our young people being inflicted on them for their school systems and woke culture.
That does seem like a dilemma. I would rather look at it as a challenge. If we don’t teach kids gun safety in schools they are going to learn it on the streets. I can only hope and pray they learn it from responsibly armed Americans and not Hamas.
