Plant City High School student accused of bringing gun to campus, robbing classmates: HCSO
Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
PLANT CITY, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrested a 16-year-old student accused of bringing a gun onto campus and robbing classmates at Plant City High School.
The backstory:
According to HCSO, school officials and a school resource deputy were alerted shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Friday that a student may have a gun on campus at Plant City High.
Investigators say two students were approached by another student, who reportedly demanded money while threatening to physically harm them. During the encounter, deputies say the student showed the victims a gun inside his backpack.
One of the victims handed over cash after seeing the weapon, according to the sheriff’s office.
Dig deeper:
Deputies later located the student at his home in Plant City. He told deputies he had left the gun at a friend’s house, HCSO said.
Investigators say deputies went to the friend’s home and found both the stolen money and the gun inside the friend’s vehicle. The gun was not loaded and had no ammunition, HCSO said.
The student, who is not being named due to his age, faces multiple charges, including:
- Tampering with physical evidence
- Robbery with a firearm (less than $750) – two counts
- Disrupting a school campus or function
- Minor in possession of a firearm
- Carrying a concealed firearm
- Possession of a firearm on school property
What they're saying:
"Bringing a firearm onto a school campus and threatening students is a serious crime that will never be tolerated," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "Thanks to the quick response from the victims, the school, and our deputies, this situation was addressed before anyone was harmed. We will continue working with our schools to make sure our campuses remain safe places for learning."
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.