MARION COUNTY, Fla. – Marion County deputies arrested a 17-year-old student at Lake Weir High School Monday after finding marijuana and a stolen gun in his backpack, according to a report.
The Sheriff’s Office said the school resource officer stopped the student in the school after smelling an odor that seemed like marijuana coming from his bookbag.
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The SRO reported the student to the school’s dean, according to an MCSO news release.
The dean conducted an administrative search of the backpack and found bags of marijuana and a handgun. Deputies say the handgun had been reported stolen in August 2019.
The student told deputies he carries the gun every day for protection when he is outside of school, stating he purchased it from a friend but would not give deputies a name, according to an arrest report.
The student was charged with possession of a firearm on school property, possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of a firearm by someone under the age of 18, grand theft of a firearm and burglary.
The teen is being held in the Marion County Jail.