LAKELAND, FL –A loaded 9mm handgun was discovered concealed beneath papers in a desk inside a classroom at Lakeland High School on Friday, October 9, leading to the arrest of two 16-year-old students, according to arrest affidavits from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
As of Sunday morning, October 11, the State Attorney’s Office has not confirmed whether either student will be charged as an adult. As a result, Eye In The Sky News has decided to withhold the identities of both juveniles.
The firearm, described as a green-and-black 9mm handgun without a serial number, contained 14 rounds of ammunition in its magazine.
According to the affidavits, the investigation began after school administrators received a report that a student, identified as Student 1, 16, had been seen possessing a firearm.
When confronted by school administrators, Student 1 denied having a weapon and provided a video showing another student, Student 2, 16, holding a firearm inside a school bathroom.
Deputies subsequently searched Student 2 and his backpack but did not locate a firearm. However, investigators discovered three suspected THC vaping devices inside his backpack.
According to investigators, Student 2 told school administrators that the video was recorded on a previous school day and that the firearm belonged to Student 1.
School administrators then searched Student 1’s backpack before expanding the search to other students in his classroom. During the search, a school resource deputy spotted the handgun concealed beneath papers on an unoccupied desk.
Following his arrest, Student 1 reportedly admitted to investigators that he had assembled the firearm using parts purchased from an online website.
According to the affidavit, Student 1 told deputies he brought the firearm to school because he had been experiencing problems with other students. He also admitted leaving the handgun at his seat after learning he would be searched, hoping to prevent investigators from finding it in his possession.
During a separate interview, Student 2 reportedly admitted that Student 1 had given him the firearm on a previous school day before retrieving it after dismissal.
Investigators determined that the video showing Student 2 holding the handgun inside a school bathroom was recorded on September 30, 2026, at approximately 1:26 p.m.
The affidavit also states that Student 2 was already on juvenile probation for petit theft and retail theft.
Student 1 faces four charges, including firearm possession on school property, unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor, unlawful carrying of a concealed firearm, and disrupting or interfering with school operations.
Student 2 faces six charges, including firearm possession on school property, unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor, unlawful carrying of a concealed firearm, possession of cannabis resin, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of probation.
Polk County Public Schools previously confirmed that no students or staff members were threatened with the firearm during the incident. Nothing further at this time.
SOURCE: POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, POLK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ARREST AFFIDAVIT
