Student accused of campus gun detained

May lose job, scholarship if held, atty. says

A juvenile charged with bringing a shotgun to White Station High School, where he was attending summer school, will remain in juvenile detention until his trial begins.

After hearing testimony from attorneys and the defendant’s mother Wednesday, Juvenile Court Special Judge Dan Michael ruled that the 17-year-old defendant would not be released into his mother’s custody.

According to an affidavit, a student at Hamilton High School told the Hamilton security officer that the defendant “had been showing off a shotgun” on June 20.

The officer contacted a school security officer at White Station High, who then searched the minor’s vehicle, the affidavit said. He found an unloaded shotgun and a box of eight ammunition shells. The youth told the officer the gun belonged to his uncle.

The juvenile’s mother told the court that before his arrest, her son was earning his high school diploma during summer school and had received a scholarship to attend Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville in the fall. She said he also is working at two jobs.

The defense attorney said that if the youth remained in detention until trial, he would lose his job, be unable to graduate and possibly lose his scholarship.

The judge denied the youth’s release because the gun was found on school property.

“This was a huge, huge mistake,” said Michael.

The trial is set to begin July 12, the day before the defendant’s 18th birthday.