HAMMOND, La. — A 16-year-old boy was arrested and booked into the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center on Monday after he allegedly brought a firearm to Hammond Magnet High School.
According to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, the teen is being booked on one count of Possession of a Weapon on School Property.
Two days earlier, TPSO's School Resource Officers were alerted to a social media video from Friday showing the suspect revealing a gun in his school bag while in a classroom.
Deputies confirmed the video was recorded at HMHS.
The teen's parents turned him in after a quick investigation identified and located the suspect in question.
“School is not a place for foolish games like this and guns are not toys,” Sheriff Gerald Sticker stated after the arrest. “Our students have to understand that these are dangerous circumstances that are far from funny and their consequences are nothing to be proud of.”
Tangipahoa Parish Schools Superintendent Melissa Stilley praised Sheriff Sticker and his deputies for the TPSO's immediate response.
“I don’t know any other way to say this – guns are not allowed anywhere near our Tangipahoa Parish public schools," said Stilley. "No weapons of any kind are allowed at our campuses, and if someone chooses to violate that policy, that person will face criminal consequences."
Stilley urges families to help prevent incidents such as this by talking with children about the dangers and ramifications of bringing weapons to school.
A video message from Sheriff Sticker reinforced Stilley's stance regarding Tangipahoa Parish's "zero tolerance" to guns in school.
"There was also another incident, in one of our municipalities where they had the same thing," claimed Sticker. "A young person with a firearm in school crosses parish. Zero tolerance. It's not a good idea. It's not safe. That's something that we will not tolerate. If you bring a firearm to school, you will be arrested."
Sheriff Sticker shared appreciation for the communities assistance and provided details how others can get involved to share information regarding criminal behavior.
The release read:
"The TPSO and the Tangipahoa School System thank the community for reporting the information about this incident. As a reminder, you can share information about crimes, suspicious or even concerning activities in our schools through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s tip line at 1-800-554-5245 or visit www.tangicrimestoppers.com and click on the P3 Tips icon or Submit A Tip! You can provide this information anonymously."