Naples Teen, 15, Faces Felony Counts After Hidden Knives Found at Barron Collier High

A 15-year-old student at Barron Collier High School was charged with two felony counts of possessing a weapon on school grounds Tuesday after administrators spotted him with a knife and deputies later discovered he was also carrying a hidden butterfly knife and a box cutter. Deputies say there was no threat made against the school or anyone on campus, and no indication students were in danger.

According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, school administrators alerted deputies Tuesday morning after a student was seen with a knife on campus grounds, a sequence of events also detailed by Naples FM Talk. Deputies determined the teen was carrying a butterfly knife with a 4-inch blade concealed in his clothing, along with a box cutter. He was subsequently charged with two counts of possession of a weapon on school grounds, both felonies.

How Florida Law Treats Weapons Found on Campus

The charges stem from Florida Statute 790.115, which makes possessing a weapon — including a box cutter, razor blade, or any knife other than a common pocketknife — on school property, on a school bus, or within 1,000 feet of a school a third-degree felony. A conviction under the statute carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to the language of the law published on Online Sunshine.

Separately, Florida Statute 1006.13 imposes a statewide zero-tolerance policy that requires school districts to refer any student found with a weapon on campus to the criminal justice system and to recommend a mandatory one-year expulsion from regular school programs. Because the charges are felony-level, the teen is also automatically disqualified from Collier County's standard pre-arrest juvenile diversion programs under Florida Statute 985.12, which otherwise allows citations for minor youth misbehavior.

Deputies Stationed on Campus Made the Discovery

The case was handled through the Collier County Sheriff's Office's Youth Relations Bureau, which stations Youth Relations Deputies across Collier County Public Schools campuses to manage school security, mentor students, and conduct on-site investigations when incidents arise. The bureau's presence at Barron Collier High allowed deputies to respond quickly once administrators flagged the student.

Barron G. Collier High School, located at 5600 Cougar Drive in North Naples, opened in 1978 and currently enrolls roughly 1,470 students in grades 9 through 12 under Principal Dr. Sean C. Kinsley, per background compiled on Wikipedia. In its statement, the sheriff's office reiterated that school safety remains Sheriff Kevin Rambosk's top concern, and that residents can reach the agency directly at 239-252-9300 or dial 911 for emergencies.

Part of a Broader Pattern of Campus Enforcement

Tuesday's arrest follows a string of high-profile safety actions in Collier County schools this year. In May, deputies and Collier County Public Schools officials filed felony narcotics charges against a teacher after cocaine and fentanyl were found in a backpack at Lely High School, according to reporting from Gulf Coast News Now. And in June, Sheriff Rambosk led an enforcement push that brought criminal charges against four teenagers following a public fight at Naples' Mercato shopping center, the sheriff's office said at the time.

Statewide, weapons incidents on school grounds remain a persistent issue. Department of Education data reported by WTSP showed Florida public schools logged 1,496 weapons possession incidents across campuses, transportation, and school events during the 2023–2024 school year. Separate research from Pineapple Report found Florida schools recorded 71 firearm-related incidents over the decade leading up to 2023, underscoring the state's long-running focus on weapon detection and prevention in K-12 settings.