HAINES CITY, Fla. (WFLA) – Just a day after three children and three adults were shot to death at a Christian school in Nashville, Haines City police recovered a semi-automatic handgun in the vehicle of a car at Haines City High School.
On Tuesday morning, School Resource Officers Nathaniel Moya and Monica Lozano received a tip that a student had a handgun in his vehicle.
According to officials, officers Moya and Lozano immediately went to the student parking lot, where they confronted the student. While at his vehicle, officers were able to recover a 9mm Taurus semi-automatic handgun.
The student was placed under arrested for possession of a firearm on a school campus and unlawful carry of a firearm by a person under the age of 18.
“Based on recent events regarding school-related shootings, our School Resource Officers are more vigilant in their day-to-day interactions with students and social media posts in an attempt to thwart any possible incidents in our schools,” Deputy Police Chief Jay Hopwood said in a statement. “We will still encourage students, parents, guardians, and school personnel to notify the Police Department of any written threats, verbal threats, and possession of any weapons that they are made aware, of that, could possibly harm any of the students or faculty in our schools.”
Hopwood thanked the tipster for providing vital information that allowed officers to work quickly and “possibly prevented a dangerous situation at the Haines City High School.”