Boy Arrested at School With Handgun, Ammo

A 15-year-old student with a loaded handgun and a box of ammunition was arrested after his probation officer paid him an unexpected visit at Huntington Beach High School, police said Friday.

The student, whose name was not released because he is a minor, admitted to the probation officer Thursday morning that he had the gun, which was hidden inside his backpack and a box containing 49 bullets, said Police Officer Mike Corcoran.

“He said he was just holding it for someone,” Corcoran said. “He said that a fellow student who he didn’t know had given him the gun on campus earlier that day. He said the gun was wrapped up in a handkerchief when it was handed to him and he didn’t know what it was.”

Corcoran said police have no indication that other students were aware of or involved in the incident.

The student was booked at Orange County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of possessing a handgun on a school campus, Corcoran said.

Officials would not say why the boy was on probation, but Corcoran said it is not unusual for a probation officer to visit a student on campus.

Students bringing weapons to school has been a growing problem for school districts throughout Orange County. Many, including the Huntington Beach Union High School District, have adopted a “zero tolerance” policy toward weapons. Under this policy, any student caught carrying a weapon is recommended for expulsion for a maximum of two semesters. Students who are expelled can enroll in county-run court schools or private schools, said John Myers, assistant superintendent of instruction for the Huntington Beach district.

“It’s a problem that has been growing each year,” Myers said. “It’s something that’s hard to turn around and we’re worried. It’s frightening because we’re afraid that eventually a student is going to use one of those weapons.”

In November, a 15-year-old Westminster High School sophomore was caught with a loaded gun and a knife on the campus of Ocean View High School.