Student who brought loaded gun to school receives probation

Judge says imprisonment too harsh, receives juvenile probation

Theo Paschal appears in court.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local teenager arrested for bringing a loaded gun to school was sentenced to probation Friday.

Thelonious Paschal, 17, was in court after being arrested last April for bringing a loaded gun to Terry Parker High School.

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Paschal said he needed it for protection from other students, who he claims threatened to shoot him over comments circulating on social media.

Paschal faced several years in prison, but the judge ruled that imprisonment was too harsh of a punishment. Instead, Paschel received juvenile probation and was ordered to attend behavior counseling classes, as well as to stay employed.

According to the arrest report, the principal called the school resource officer to a classroom, where Paschal was searched. While no gun was found, a search of his locker turned up a gun magazine containing six rounds.

The officer returned to the classroom and found a loaded .380 handgun near where Paschal was sitting.

Police said they also found two gang-related bandannas and a cellphone that displayed a gang-related screen saver.

It was the second time in less than five weeks that a student was arrested for having a loaded gun at Terry Parker. It was the fifth time a gun was found at a Duval County Public School this year.

"I’m really encouraged by the students being motivated to make sure that they don’t have guns in the schools, because they are the ones in each case that are notifying school officials," News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said.

No students were threatened or harmed during the incident.

“It’s surprising,” parent Janae Richards said. “I would want to know what the purpose for him bringing it (was) -- to show it off, or was he being bullied.”

Smith agreed that more information should be released about the student's motive for bringing the gun to school.

“We are finding out about the weapons in school, but we are not always finding out why, once they sit down and talk to these students, why are they bringing the weapons," Smith said.

Richards, whose daughter is in ninth grade at Terry Parker, said she believes there needs to be more security to keep all the students safe.

“It seems like they need a metal detector, or I see school police all the time, I don’t understand how a firearm got past them,” Richards said.

Officials are asking parents and caregivers to talk with their children and emphasize their role in keeping the city's school campuses safe, and monitor items he or she may bring to school.


About the Author:

Jennifer, who anchors The Morning Shows and is part of the I-TEAM, loves working in her hometown of Jacksonville.