Student flashes gun on Instagram and is caught with it at school, Florida cops say

A high school student accused of having a loaded gun at school was arrested after another student reported seeing a video of him flashing the weapon on Instagram, according to a Florida sheriff’s department.

A student told an employee at South Fort Myers High School on Aug. 11 about a video on Instagram showing the 17-year-old student with a firearm, according to a statement from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Administrators and sheriff’s deputies searched the 17-year-old’s car, which was parked in the school’s parking lot, and found a loaded 9mm handgun under the driver’s seat, the sheriff’s office said.

Fort Myers is about 160 miles northwest of Miami.

According to an email sent to McClatchy News, Principal Ed Mathews emailed families to tell them that a student was arrested and accused of having a gun in a parked car on campus.

“At no time were any students threatened,” the email says. “Thanks to a tip provided to the school, administrators and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office were able to immediately investigate.

“We do not tolerate this kind of behavior at South Fort Myers High School, so on top of the legal consequences the student involved will be disciplined per the Student Code of Conduct.”

Detectives traced the gun and found it was stolen in July from Leigh Acres, about 18 miles east of Fort Myers. Investigators are still looking into the burglary.

Deputies arrested the teen and charged him with possession of a weapon on school grounds, according to the sheriff’s office.

South Fort Myers High School administrators did not immediately return a request for comment.

The school’s first day was Aug. 10, according to the website.

This story was originally published August 15, 2022 at 9:57 AM with the headline "Student flashes gun on Instagram and is caught with it at school, Florida cops say."