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Freshman Learning Center student arrested for having gun on campus, sheriff's office says

Posted at 2:21 PM, Oct 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-05 14:22:47-04

A student in Indian River County is under arrest after the sheriff's office said he was found with a gun on campus.

Deputies and school resource officers arrested the 15-year-old Thursday at the Freshman Learning Center. The sheriff's office said he was taken into custody after they learned he had been in possession of a firearm on school property.

Law enforcement said they were tipped off by sources and there was a photo of the teen holding a gun on a school bus as well as video of him with the gun on campus.

They said the 15-year-old initially told them he was holding a BB gun in the photo and video.

An investigator said it was a Lorcin 9mm and had been stolen from the home of the student's grandmother.

Officials said the student made a video of himself with the gun during a lunch period and the video was posted to Snapchat on September 27.

“Make no mistake, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office takes a zero-tolerance approach to weapons on our school campuses. Those who bring a gun or other weapon to school or who make threats to do violence, on social media or otherwise, will be arrested and taken to jail," Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar said in a statement. 

"This incident is a great example of students not willing to tolerate firearms in their schools. By contacting their SROs, the students sent a clear message that they will take an active role in preventing school violence. This case came to a successful conclusion because of the cooperation between students, law enforcement, and school officials," Sheriff Loar said.

The teen was charged with possession of a firearm by a minor and possession of a firearm on school grounds.