PALATKA, Fla. – A gun brought to Palatka Junior-Senior High School on Monday triggered a school lockdown and the arrest of four students facing multiple charges, including possession of a firearm on campus and disruption of a school function, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
The agency said that the incident began when a student overheard several peers discussing a firearm on campus and reported it to school administration. As a precaution, the school was immediately placed on lockdown.
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During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that a 15-year-old, two 16-year-olds, and a 17-year-old student had exchanged text messages about the gun being broken and discussed repairing it together.
Throughout the school day, the gun was passed among the four students, with each having possession at different times, the sheriff’s office said.
All four students were removed from class during the lockdown, and the single firearm was recovered. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be filed.
When the students were taken to the Putnam County Jail, one of the students was found to have a THC vape in his pocket, and faces additional charges for introducing contraband into a jail facility and possession of marijuana.
Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach expressed concern about the severity of the situation, especially given the community’s recent loss of a student to an accidental shooting.
“When we have a school still reeling from the death of one of their own from an accidental shooting by another classmate, these four have to bring a gun on campus,” DeLoach said. “Clearly they have no clue about the seriousness of playing with a firearm, and that is exactly what they are doing – they are playing at being adults and playing with something that can kill one of them or an innocent bystander.”
The four students were all charged with possession of a firearm on a school campus, a third-degree felony, and disruption of a school function, a misdemeanor. They were all also booked into the Putnam County Jail before being transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Volusia County.
The Putnam County School District released the following statement on the matter:
Today, at Palatka Jr.-Sr. High School, a report was made to school administration regarding a firearm possibly being on campus. The information was immediately reported to the School Resource Officer, and the school was placed on lockdown as a precaution while law enforcement conducted an investigation.
During the investigation, one firearm was located. Four students were taken into custody and are facing charges. The students will also face consequences in accordance with district policy.
We want to commend the student who reported the concern and thank our school administrators and law enforcement partners for their swift action to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
PCSD has zero tolerance for weapons on campus. We encourage students and families to continue to follow the principle of “See Something, Say Something” by reporting concerns to a trusted adult or through the FortifyFL app.
Working together, we can keep our schools safe.
Putnam County School District