A recent long and tense day at Kalamazoo's Loy Norrix High School ended with the arrest of five students on criminal weapons charges. According to a police report about the incident a 16-year-old boy, who was one of the students who was arrested, is accused of stealing a gun from his father. Fearful his mother would find the gun, the boy gave the weapon to another 16-year-old friend for safekeeping.
On the morning of March 17, the two teens were in a high school bathroom where they were exchanging the gun when it went off. Prior to the incident, a police officer at the school had received a tip that the teen who stole the gun had brought the weapon to school. In an attempt to hide the gun after it accidentally discharged, the weapon was handled and passed between five different students before officers found the gun in one student's backpack at the end of the school day.
When police questioned the 16-year-old boy about why he had the weapon, he admitted to taking it from his father to use for protection against rival gang members. He also broke down in tears upon questioning and admitted that it was "stupid" to bring the gun to school. All five of the students who are believed to have played a role in lying to and evading police and hiding the gun were arrested and currently face criminal charges related to carrying a concealed weapon on school property.
The teens, two of whom are age 15 and three who are age 16, have all been suspended from school and "are awaiting expulsion hearings." For these teens, this one incident and their lack of judgment will likely have significant repercussions. Teens who face criminal charges often fail to understand the consequences that may result. Additionally, if the teens are kicked out of school, it's possible that one or more may never graduate.
Juveniles and teens are prone to make mistakes and, if given the chance, it's through those mistakes that they grow and learn to make better choices. Teens who face criminal charges would be wise to contact a criminal defense attorney who can defend his or her rights and work to get criminal charges dismissed or reduced.
Source: MLive.com, "Police report on Kalamazoo school gun incident details day of tension, frustration," Julie Mack, March 31, 2015