Three students were apprehended at East High School on charges related to firearm possession. The school's random security search unveiled two guns stashed within backpacks, and a third in a student's vehicle, according to a Nashville government statement.
Despite the swiftness of the security team, both the 16 and 17-year-old suspects dropped their backpacks in an attempt to flee when the search began. Their efforts were futile, as authorities quickly found a handgun in each discarded pack. In addition to the firearm, the 16-year-old faces charges of juvenile handgun possession, carrying a weapon on school property, simple possession, and violation of a drug-free school zone. The elder teen faces similar charges, with an additional count of possession of burglary tools.
The incidents didn't stop inside the school walls. A third firearm was retrieved from the vehicle of another 17-year-old, a situation that also resulted in immediate arrest and charges of juvenile handgun possession and carrying a weapon on school property.
