Gun found in Mansfield student’s backpack reported stolen in Alabama; student detained
A 16-year-old boy was ordered on Thursday to remain in the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center after authorities found a handgun in his backpack at a Mansfield school.
District Judge Alex Kim issued the order for the teen, who was arrested by Mansfield school district police on Wednesday at Ben Barber Innovation Academy.
The order came during a brief detention hearing, which was conducted on Zoom at the Scott D. Moore Juvenile Justice Center in Fort Worth. The boys’ parents attended the hearing.
The teen, who turns 17 next week, will remain in the Lynn W. Ross Juvenile Detention Center in Fort Worth for 10 days until he’s re-evaluated, Kim said.
“I don’t want (him) to end up in the newspaper as a homicide victim or a defendant in a homicide case,” Kim said, noting that one of his guidelines was to keep juveniles in detention when they are found with a weapon.
The teen had no prior juvenile crime history, according to Kim.
The teen has been expelled from the school, according to the judge, but he will continue his education by attending a Fort Worth school district program while he is being held in detention.
Kim also was troubled that the Smith & Wesson handgun found in the student’s backpack was reported stolen from Madison County in Alabama and the teen had been using drugs at school.
His parents told Kim they didn’t know where their son had gotten the weapon.
On Wednesday afternoon, a group of students were sent to the school office after a teacher smelled marijuana as the boys left a bathroom, the judge said.
During a search, the Smith & Wesson 9 mm was found in a backpack that the 16-year-old was carrying.
In a letter addressed to parents, Principal Cathy Hudgins said the weapon was discovered during a search. The high school student was arrested and charged with a felony.
Hudgins said no one was harmed and the gun was not found in a classroom.
“Providing a safe environment for our students and staff will always be our top priority,” she wrote. “We take these types of situations very seriously.”
School officials declined to answer whether the gun was loaded or not.
Wednesday was the first day of the new school year for the North Texas district.
This story was originally published August 19, 2021 at 1:31 PM.
