Student arrested for bringing gun to school in Putnam County

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – A 14-year-old student at QI Junior-Senior High School in Putnam County was arrested for allegedly bringing a gun to school on Friday.

The juvenile was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

First coastal news will not reveal the student’s name because he is a minor.

Youth officers were nominated through the FortifyFL app, a suspicious activity reporting tool that sends information directly to law enforcement and school officials.

According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the student was taken into custody in “less than three minutes.”

The school did not have to be locked itself and the day continued as usual.

The gun was in a holster in the student’s backpack, police said. The student told officers he found the gun on the way to his bus stop near Main and Madison streets in Palatka.

He said he never took the gun out of his backpack.

Police said the gun was covered in dirt and could not be fired in the condition it was in. They assume that there was “no ill intent” and that the student had no intention of using the weapon.

“Although there was no malicious intent, we must prosecute this student for bringing a firearm onto campus,” said Sheriff HD “Gator” DeLoach. “This gun could have fallen into the wrong hands and we would have gotten another one.” Scenario All this young man had to do was turn the gun over to an adult, Deputy Brady or an administrator on campus.”