JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 16-year-old student was arrested Thursday after a gun found just before dismissal at Matthew Gilbert Middle School, according to Duval County school officials.
A spokeswoman said a student tip led the school resource officer and administrators to search a Bridge to Success student. After a 22-caliber gun was found was found in his book bag and a magazine with four rounds of ammunition was found in his front pocket, Tyrese Manners was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm on school property and possession of a firearm by a minor.
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"Duval County Public Schools is thankful no one was harmed during this incident and very pleased with the responsiveness and cooperation by students, staff and security teams," spokeswoman Laureen Ricks said in a statement. "Parents and guardians of the Bridge to Success program and Matthew Gilbert Middle School were informed of the incident later in the evening via an automated call and asked (parents) to talk with their children, emphasize their role in keeping our school campuses safe, and monitor items he or she may bring to school."
News4Jax spoke with a friend and classmate of the student arrested for bringing a gun to school.
Abel Canty, an eighth grader at Matthew Gilbert Middle who's in the Bridge to Success program with Manners, said he saw a school resource officer questioning his classmate Thursday.
“He was like just going to go home, and someone told the security officer that he had a gun. That’s when he turned back around, because the police officer caught him," Canty said.
Canty said he is one of Manners’ close friends, but he isn’t sure why the 16-year-old brought the gun to school.
He also said Manners shouldn’t have been arrested, and his friend just made a mistake.
“You can go to school. You can ask the teachers. He’s good. He get all his grades, he gets like As and Bs. He’s a good child," Canty said.
Manners also faces expulsion under the school system's code of conduct rules.