Police find loaded handgun in student's backpack at Wellington-area elementary school
WELLINGTON — School police found a loaded handgun at Panther Run Elementary on May 15 after a student reported finding it in their backpack, according to a statement from the school's principal.
It is the third incident involving guns or ammunition in Wellington-area schools since April, although none resulted in a shooting.
Officers on April 17 arrested two Wellington High students after finding bullet casings in their backpacks. A week before that, police arrested two Polo Park Middle School students on April 10 for allegedly exchanging threatening messages about a person on campus.
Risa Suarez, Panther Run's principal, said in a letter to parents that a student reported finding a "dangerous item" in their backpack to an adult on its campus along Lake Worth Road west of State Road 7. Police recovered the loaded handgun without disrupting to the school day.
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"It was not displayed or used in a threatening manner," Suarez wrote in the email. "The safety of our students remains my highest priority, and Florida law strictly prohibits firearms on schools."
The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident alongside school police, according to Suarez's email. She said the student is now subject to consequences outlines on the school's Student Code of Conduct.
Suarez encouraged families to make a regular practice of checking their children's backpacks each morning. She added the FortifyFL app is a valuable tool to report school safety concerns anonymously.
Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Palm Springs and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Guns in schools: Police find loaded weapon in Florida student's bag
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