A 15-year-old student has been charged with violating a city ordinance after he was accused of bringing a BB gun to an Orlando high school.
On Friday, September 6, the Orlando Police Department was notified that a 15-year-old student at Jones High School (801 Rio Grande Avenue in Orlando) had made a social media post showing him with a gun. School resource officers were able to quickly locate the student on campus, according to OPD.
“The student was found with an unloaded BB gun,” stated OPD. The police department added that the BB gun lacked any markings to distinguish it from a real firearm.
While officers determined that there was no threat associated with the student’s social media post, his actions “caused unnecessary fear among his peers, their parents and teachers,” according to police.
The student was charged with carrying a simulated firearm, which is in violation of a city ordinance.
This incident occurred two days after a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia claimed the life of two students and two teachers, leaving nine others wounded.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, September 7, the Orlando Police Department released the following statement: “In light of the recent school shooting in Georgia, the Orlando Police Department would like to express its unwavering commitment to vigilance in our schools and to stop any individuals who could be considered a danger to public safety.”
OPD further stated that its officers “will not hesitate to protect the students and teachers we serve.”