Former Niceville High School student accused of bringing gun, loaded magazine on property

NICEVILLE — The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested a former Niceville High School student Friday after he was reportedly found with a handgun and a loaded magazine on school grounds.

An OCSO School Resource Officer found the 16-year-old boy outside between Niceville High and Ruckle Middle School about 11:15 a.m. with a 9mm handgun in the waistband of his pants, according to an OCSO news release.

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The SRO received a report that the boy, who lives in Crestview and no longer attends Niceville, had previously flashed a weapon at a city park, according to the OCSO.

He was arrested on a charge of possession of a firearm on school grounds.

Okaloosa County School District Superintendent Marcus Chambers said in a Friday press release there was no indication the boy tried to enter either school, but that safety measures in place “worked exceptionally well.”

School Resource Officers are stationed in every school. Each campus also has perimeter fencing, camera systems, radio systems and single points of entry, among other safety features.

“We train our students that if they ‘See Something, Say Something,’ which means to tell a staff member, teacher or school administrator anytime they see or hear something suspicious,” Chambers said in the release. “Part of the resolution of this situation involved students coming to school administrators earlier in the day to provide information about an off-campus event that occurred at an earlier date.”

The situation did not warrant a lockdown of the schools because there was no indication the boy had a weapon until the SRO searched his waistband and it was confiscated, Chambers said.

Parents of students at both schools were notified of the incident.

Chambers said it is still unknown what the boy's intent was, but the School District is taking a “zero-tolerance” approach in the matter. The district will work with the Sheriff’s Office during the investigation.

“There is no greater priority in our district than student and staff safety,” Chambers said. “While the intent of this juvenile is not yet known, as a district, our actions will always be to act decisively to protect our school family. With that in mind, I am so very grateful that this situation was handled quickly and efficiently when it came to our attention.”

This is a developing story. More information will be released as it becomes available.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Former Niceville High School student accused of bringing gun on property