Student arrested on weapons charges after showing a gun to other students on Sarasota school bus

A 17-year-old Sarasota student was arrested on weapons charges after deputies say he showed a gun to other students on a school bus.

At about 7:30 a.m. Thursday, deputies with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office were called to Riverview High School, 1 Ram Way, after receiving a report that a student had showed other students a gun on a Sarasota County school bus. The report alleged the student showed the gun to others, but did not make any threats or allude to any acts of violence, according to a news release.

Riverview High School and five surroundings schools — Suncoast Polytechnical high school, Suncoast Technical College, Phillippi and Wilkinson elementary schools and Suncoast School of Innovative Studies middle school campus — were placed on a brief lockdown, according to the sheriff’s office, out of an abundance of caution while deputies searched for the student.

The 17-year-old was found at a bus station on North Lemon Avenue in Sarasota. He was arrested and charged with possessing a firearm on school property, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and criminal mischief.

In a message on the Sarasota County School District’s Facebook page they stated, “A special thank you to the students who did the right thing and reported what they saw on the bus.”

The investigation remains ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 10:34 PM with the headline "Student arrested on weapons charges after showing a gun to other students on Sarasota school bus."