PALM COAST, Fla. – A tip about a gun in a backpack relayed through a teacher at Buddy Taylor Middle School led to the seizure of a loaded handgun and detention of 14-year-old boy, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
School Resource Deputy Cory Petty tracked down the student and found a gun in his backpack with no magazine but one round in the chamber, according to the Sheriff's Office.
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“I want to point out the ‘see something, say something’ campaign works," Flagler School Superintendent James Tager said. "I commend that, combined with the quick actions of our school resource deputies, to bringing a quick resolution to this incident.”
Sheriff Rick Staly said the eighth grade student, Dewuan Brinson, 14, was carrying a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun (pictured above), which had been stolen from an unlocked vehicle in April.
“We do not know what this student’s intentions were at this time,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “This student
has been in trouble with the law previously."
Staly said the student was arrested in Nov. 2017 for a felony charge of robbery and sent to teen court.
"His crimes are escalating and he is on track to grow up and be an adult offender and spend his adult life in prison," Staly said.
After Friday's arrest, Brinson was charged with exhibiting a weapon on school property, grand theft of a firearm and interfering with a school function.
“Our No. 1 concern is the safety of our students and, thankfully, we were able to thwart any plans this juvenile may have had before someone was injured during today’s incident,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. "The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office takes a zero tolerance approach to weapons and threats on school campuses. This incident was safely resolved because of the great cooperation between school personnel, students, school resource deputies, the Sheriff’s Office and the systems we have put in place.”