JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 14-year-old student was arrested this week after police said he brought a gun and a loaded magazine to Westview K-8 School.
Principal Claire St. Amand said Monday in a letter sent home to parents that administrators at the Westside school got a tip from a student that other students might have a weapon, and administrators and Duval County School Police investigated right away and found the gun and magazine during a search.
The weapon and magazine were confiscated and multiple children were taken into custody, St. Amand said.
According to a police report, only one of the students, a 14-year-old who News4Jax is not naming, was arrested. He was caught with a .22-caliber handgun, a magazine with four bullets in it, and a gun barrel in his backpack, police said.
READ: Letter sent home to Westview K-8 parents
Along with criminal charges, the student faces discipline according to the Student Code of Conduct, St. Amand said.
No students or staff members were threatened or harmed during the incident, according to administrators.
Parents were notified of the incident by an automated call Monday afternoon, along with the letter that was sent home.
“We are very pleased with the responsiveness and cooperation of our students, staff and security teams,” St. Amand wrote in the letter. “We are also thankful for the students who came forward to report this incident.”
This was the 13th incident of weapons being brought to Duval County schools this year, including 11 firearms, one starter pistol and one stun gun. At least 17 arrests have been made in those incidents.
St. Amand reminded parents to talk to their children about the serious consequences of bringing a weapon on campus.
“At Westview K-8, we strive to maintain a safe and secure learning environment and build trustworthy relationships between our students and staff,” she wrote. “Please continue to partner with us in keeping Westview K-8 a safe and effective learning environment.”
Several concerned parents told News4Jax that they felt they should have been notified immediately after the gun was found, not hours after it happened.
"I just feel like if my child is there and she's in danger, she could have been dead. And I don't find out until two hours later? Come on, man," said one parent, who wished to remain anonymous.
A spokesperson for Duval County Public Schools told News4Jax that the district's policy is when there are no existing threats to students, parents are not notified immediately. News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith explained the school doesn't want to create unnecessary panic.
"So once a weapon is found, and police get everything settled, they're not going to put a notification out immediately because they know parents are going to have several questions. So they need to wait until the interviews are done, they talked to all the people involved before they send out a notification, Smith said.
News4Jax learned Monday's incident stemmed from a fight that occurred Friday, which is why the unnamed parent feels administrators should have taken preventative measures.
"Why wouldn't you have JSO (the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office) there? Why wouldn't you have extra security there or someone to, maybe, approach the child when they first came in the school?" the parent said.
Other parents came to the school's defense. One father, who did not wish to be identified, said his two children have been at the school for years, and he feels their principal puts their safety at the forefront.
"She'll have teachers that will post throughout the sidewalks in the afternoon and they will walk the kids to make sure they are getting down to 103rd (Street) safely," he said. "As soon as they got the tip, and I heard about that, I knew she had it covered. As soon as she hears something is going down, she takes care of it right away."
The letter sent home with students said parents with questions can contact the principal at 904-573-1082.
The school district also recently created a hotline -- 904-348-SAFE (7233) -- and email address -- 348SAFE@duvalschools.org -- for parents and students to report threats.