TAMPA, Fla — A 13-year-old boy was arrested after bringing a loaded gun to his middle school on Wednesday, the Tampa Police Department said in a news release.
Police say the school resource officer was alerted by an anonymous student that the teen possibly had a gun and was showing it to other students at Franklin Middle Magnet School on East 21st Avenue.
The school resource officer and staff reportedly found the student in the cafeteria and escorted him to another room where they were able to locate the gun inside the student's backpack. He told the school staff he brought the loaded gun to school "for protection," according to the police department.
The teen is charged with possession of a firearm on school property and minor in possession of a firearm. He was transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center without incident.
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