Godby student arrested Tuesday morning after allegedly bringing gun to campus, LCS says
The gun was reportedly found in the student’s backpack, per Leon County Schools
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Just five weeks after the last reported Leon County campus arrest, a Godby High School student was arrested on campus Tuesday morning, according to a Leon County Schools spokesperson.
The Leon County Sheriff‘s Office arrested the student on campus after officials found a loaded Glock handgun in her backpack, the district and sheriff’s office said.
LCSO spokesperson Shonda Knight confirmed the agency arrested a 17-year-old female Godby student Tuesday. She has been charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds and grand theft of a firearm, per Knight.
More Tallahassee news:
Officials received a tip Tuesday morning that led to the Godby student‘s backpack being searched, Leon County Schools spokesperson Chris Petley said. That’s when they reportedly found the loaded gun.
“The student will be disciplined in accordance with the student code of conduct,” Petley said in a phone call.
Tuesday’s news is the latest in a string of campus arrests across the Big Bend and South Georgia. The region has seen an uptick in threats reported to schools as well as students bringing weapons to campus. In at least one instance, students from one school showed up at another school’s campus with a weapon, LCSO said.
Last month, multiple students and at least one parent were arrested in connection to campus safety issues. The most recent student arrest LCSO shared was also at Gobdy. The sheriff’s office said they took a teen there into custody on September 16 after he allegedly brought a stun gun onto campus.
Following the surge in safety concerns, leaders at Leon County Schools toured multiple high schools — including Godby— to speak with and hear from students directly on the issue. LCS Superintendent Rocky Hanna and Sheriff Walt McNeil participated in the tour.
The concerns in the region echo trends seen across the Sunshine and Peach States.
In the weeks since a deadly and tragic shooting at Apalachee High School, school districts throughout the South have reported an influx of tips about safety threats. And the issue of school shootings — and how to prevent them — has once again been thrust into the national spotlight, as lawmakers on state and federal levels have repeated a cyclical and often polarizing debate over whether to tighten gun laws.
It‘s morphed into a decades-long political scuffle, and it’s one school leaders can’t afford to wait for a solution to.
In the meantime, schools on a local level have installed new technology, updated safety policies and taken other extensive measures to heighten security. In the last year, Leon County Schools installed a new artificial intelligence-based gun detection system in some high schools.
Many parents, students and other activists say two solutions are stricter gun laws and increased funding for school safety. On the other hand, others have suggested arming teachers.
Still, some regions could be on the precipice of finding a bipartisan path forward. Earlier this month, a group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Georgia said they plan to recommend legislation next session that they hope will lower gun violence by, in part, requiring safer firearm storage.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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