A 15-year-old student was arrested Monday and is facing charges for having a loaded handgun at his school in Southfield, according to the city’s chief of police, Elvin Barren.
Barren said the teen — who’s a resident of Detroit — was arrested at around 10 a.m. after being found in possession of the 40 caliber firearm at Southfield Arts & Technology High School on Lahser Road, where he’s a student. School resource officers with the Southfield Police Department took him into custody after school security got a tip about the teen and the handgun, Barren said.
The teen was located in a school bathroom where resource officers engaged in a brief struggle with him, removed the handgun from his waistband and then handcuffed him, Barren said. He was taken to Children’s Village, Oakland County’s juvenile facility, on Monday and arraigned Tuesday on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a concealed weapon while in a gun-free zone, and resisting/obstructing police.
Barren said the handgun had a round in the chamber and was loaded.
The teen reportedly told investigators that he had the firearm for protection due to conflicts in his neighborhood and other school districts, and had “no intention of using the weapon to harm the school,” Barren said.
Still, Barren said, “carrying a gun on school property is unforgivable.” Even if there’s no intention of using it at the school, the possibility of an accidental shooting or an argument escalating into a shooting are among the reasons for the no-tolerance policy, he said.
The handgun is believed to have been stolen within the past “week or so” from a Detroit home where the teen had recently visited, Barren said, adding that “the owner was surprised to learn his (firearm) had been confiscated.” The ongoing investigation will examine whether the owner violated any proper storage laws for firearms and if could possibly face charges, Barren noted.
Barren commended the student or students who provided the tip. “They had the courage…to bring (the situation) to our attention,” he said.
“We encourage children and schools that if they see something to say something – to report it,” he said. “In this case, it worked.”
The teen is held without bond at Children’s Village and the case will be handled by juvenile court. He’s had a prior run-in with police for being in possession of a stolen car, Barren said.