Bayside student found with gun

School officials searched a Bayside High School student’s backpack Wednesday morning and found a loaded handgun.

Kavonta Hawkins, 18, was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds and receipt of a stolen firearm.

A spokesperson for the Virginia Beach police department said an administrator notified a school resource officer at 7:35 a.m. about a “concerning picture” on social media. Walton said the picture prompted the search of two students. The handgun was found in Hawkins’ backpack.

The firearm was turned over to police, who determined it had been stolen in Chesapeake.

Walton said students and staff may be experiencing heightened anxieties as this incident closely follows the the school shooting in Nashville on Monday, in which three children and three adults were killed.