A teenager's plot to rob a classmate and sell drugs ended in arrest after school personnel discovered three loaded handguns and a substantial amount of ammunition in a backpack left at Raleigh Egypt High School, according to Memphis authorities. The Memphis Police Department responded to the May 13 incident and arrested the unidentified minor who confessed to planning the robbery with another student, as reported by Action News 5.
Caught on camera at approximately 9:12 a.m., the student was seen depositing the backpack near the school's dumpster, discovered later by an employee with a cleaning service, FOX13 Memphis reported. Inside the backpack, officers found a Ruger 57, a Smith and Wesson SW40VE, and a Glock 33, each with rounds ready to fire, said police. After being seen leaving the black backpack, one of the handguns later confirmed as stolen out of Ripley, Tenn.
Denair Love, a high school worker, shared relief with WREG that the weapons were found before any tragedy could transpire: “Something horrible could’ve happened so I’m glad people said something. This is what we want people to do. If they see something say something so stuff like this can be preventable,” Love reflected on a broader issue, hinting at parental responsibility: "It’s the parents who are not taking control of their house... They need to know what’s in their house and what kids have in possession so stuff like this doesn’t happen."
Responding to the incident, the school was placed on a soft lockdown for about 30 minutes, and parents were promptly notified, assured the Memphis-Shelby County School District in a statement obtained by FOX13 Memphis. With metal detectors confirming the school's preparedness, the conversation on monitoring children's possessions draws attention to the need for awareness in preventing such occurrences. The teen faces charges of carrying a weapon on school property, theft of property to wit firearm, and unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon, as he was sent to Juvenile Detention, stated the authorities.
