JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Another teen is behind bars, accused of bringing a gun to Andrew Jackson High School on Tuesday. It's the ninth such incident in Duval County Public Schools since October.
A spokesperson for DCPS said the student was turned in by a classmate, and took off when police began to question them. That student was later located off campus by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and taken into custody. In addition to criminal charges, the student could face expulsion for violating the district's code of conduct.
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Classes were put on lockdown while the student was located, and sophomore Nathan McLaughlin is glad someone spoke up.
"Everybody at Jackson is brothers and sisters, and we all look out for each other. We do the right thing because we need to before someone gets killed," McLaughlin said.
Hours later, Action News caught up with Sheriff John Rutherford at the annual Sheriff's Advisory Council (ShAdCo) meeting.
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Rutherford said most of the guns obtained by students this year were stolen, and he's not convinced metal detectors in schools will solve the problem of guns in schools.
"If they're going to get a gun in, they're going to get a gun in," Rutherford said.
Rutherford told the crowd he's frustrated with more crime and fewer officers, but said what will help is parents stepping up and the community speaking up.
"They are our eyes and ears, not our hands and feet," Rutherford said.
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