An 18-year-old student from Flex High School, a Flint-based alternative charter school, has been leveled with two felony charges after being found with a loaded gun in his backpack. The discovery came as part of a routine search conducted by school officials on Monday, January 6, leading to the student's arrest.
The firearm, identified as a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun had also been reported stolen, Flint police officials reported. In the arrest's aftermath, the student now faces one count of receiving and concealing a stolen firearm – a charge that could carry a 10-year sentence, and one count of carrying a concealed weapon, which has a maximum penalty of five years, according to a news release from the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office, as cited by mlive.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton hailed the school's personnel for their swift response, "I want to commend school officials for their efforts in discovering the weapon, detaining the student and seizing the gun before any chance of something tragic occurring," he said in a statement obtained by CBS News Detroit. Despite the gravity of the situation, officials indicated that there were no threats issued by the student and that at no point was there an immediate risk to other students or faculty members.
While there was a breather of relief that the incident did not escalate, Leyton was clear about the consequences of such actions, "I want to make it very clear to the public that bringing a gun or any lethal weapon into a school is strictly prohibited and we will be vigilant in holding persons accountable under the law," he shared in remarks echoed by FOX 2 Detroit. The legal system appears ready to assert, the importance of school safety through stringent enforcement of the laws governing firearms on educational premises.
