JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A student of a Northside Jacksonville middle school was arrested after a gun was discovered on campus, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
The incident report from JSO said 14-year-old Tyler Evans was arrested at Highlands Middle School on Wednesday. A physical education teacher saw Evans and another student on the bleachers. They ran off as the teacher approached.
According to the report, Evans left the handgun against a stadium light pole before running into the school. The handgun was unloaded and its magazine was missing. The students were questioned, and the school was placed on a code yellow, meaning all students were told to stay in their classrooms.
A gun magazine with one loaded bullet was located in one of the boys' restrooms, the report said. Investigators later determined the handgun was reported stolen to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office.
News4Jax visited the teen's listed address. A woman who answered the door did not wish to make a comment.
Tony Hicks, a parent who coaches football at a nearby park, said the discovery is concerning.
"If we don’t keep our kids busy, they’re going to find some other kind of trouble to get into," Hicks said. "It is the family’s responsibility to make sure its locked up and safe.”
Jessica Guthrie, the principal of the middle school, said parents should monitor the items their children bring to school and remind them that any weapon brought on school grounds is a violation of the code of conduct.
By News4Jax record, this was the seventh incident regarding a gun on Duval County Public School grounds during the 2018-19 school year.