A routine day at Strawberry Crest High School in Dover turned tense when staff and a school resource deputy intervened after spotting what they described as suspicious behavior by a 15-year-old student. Deputies say that student had brought a firearm onto campus on Monday, then bolted from the school before law enforcement tracked him down nearby.
The teen was located and taken into custody in the 13300 block of East U.S. 92, according to deputies, who say they recovered the weapon close to where he was arrested. No injuries were reported, but the incident added another unsettling entry to the school’s growing file of weapons-related cases.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the student was identified as 15-year-old Eddy Martinez Pedro. He now faces multiple charges: minor in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm on school property, carrying a concealed firearm, and disrupting a school campus or function.
Deputies said in their statement that Martinez Pedro left campus before they arrived, but was soon found off-site and arrested, with the firearm recovered nearby. The agency described the case as active and still under investigation.
🚨Student Arrested for Bringing a Firearm to School🚨 HCSO has arrested Eddy Martinez Pedro, 15, for bringing a firearm on campus at Strawberry Crest High School on March 9, 2026. Deputies responded to the 13300 block of East US-92 in Dover, where Martinez Pedro was caught after fleeing the school and the firearm was recovered nearby. https://x.com/i/status/2031731893868036274
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) March 11, 2026
How Deputies Say The Arrest Unfolded
School administrators first noticed behavior that raised red flags and carried out an administrative search, which is what brought in law enforcement. At some point during the encounter, deputies say the student left the Strawberry Crest campus and headed off along U.S. 92.
Deputies later located him in the 13300 block of East U.S. 92, where they took him into custody. The firearm, they said, was recovered in the same area, shortly after the arrest.
A Pattern At The School
This was not the first weapons-related scare at Strawberry Crest in recent months. Last fall, another 15-year-old student was charged after deputies recovered both a firearm and a knife during an administrative search, as reported in Teen Charged After Bringing Gun.
In the wake of those earlier incidents, local law enforcement and school officials repeatedly urged students and families to speak up and report suspicious activity before it escalates. Monday’s arrest is likely to renew those calls for vigilance.
Legal Consequences
Florida law generally prohibits anyone under 18 from possessing a firearm, outside of specific and limited exceptions. State education rules also allow schools to expel students who are found with weapons on campus. For the relevant provisions, see Florida Statutes, Chapter 790 and Florida Statutes, Section 1006.07.
County officials say the case remains under investigation and that the student will be processed through the juvenile justice system. Strawberry Crest High School and Hillsborough County Public Schools did not immediately release additional public comment. In incidents like this, school leaders typically coordinate closely with law enforcement on both the response and family notifications.
