Police: 12-Year-Old Brought High-Tech Weapon To School
POSTED: 10:19 am EDT April 6, 2007
OPELIKA, Ala. -- A school principal called it an "eye opener" when he found a 9 millimeter semiautomatic pistol in a 12-year-old boy's book bag. The tec-nine as its sometimes called was confiscated yesterday at Opelika Middle School.
Principal Kenneth Burton said a tip from a fellow student led to the discovery. The 12-year-old told school administrators and police he had planned to use the weapon to shoot another student.
Opelika Police Chief Tommy Mangham said the gun was not loaded. He said the seventh-grader was placed in juvenile detention overnight and faces criminal charges for bringing a firearm on school grounds and threatening to harm, or kill, another person.
Manghum praised Burton for his quick response and said the student who came forward did the right thing.
