Police arrest three Hendry County students on gun charges

Three teens face charges after one was found with a firearm at a Hendry County school and the two others are suspected in helping to sell the stolen weapon on Snapchat.

A 15-year-old faces charges of Dealing in Stolen Property and Sale of Stolen Property via Internet.

A 16-year-old faces charges of Possession of a Firearm on School Property, Grand Theft of a Firearm, Dealing in Stolen Property, Possession of Synthetic Narcotic within 1000′ of a School and Possession of Drug Equipment on School Campus.

A 13-year-old faces charges of Armed Burglary, Grand Theft of a Firearm, Dealing in Stolen Property, Transferring the Firearm to a Minor and Sale of Stolen Property via Internet.

According to a Hendry County press release, the school resource officer at a middle school in Clewiston received information Tuesday morning around 8 a.m. that either one of two Clewiston High School students – a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old – may have a gun at school.

The Clewiston High School SRO and the assistant principal escorted the 16-year-old from a classroom to the office, per the press release. During the walk, a Smith & Wesson .380 semi-automatic handgun was found with three rounds of ammo in the magazine, along with a vape pen that would later test positive for THC.

Investigators and the SROs later obtained more information. A 13-year-old 8th-grade student at LaBelle Middle School stole his mother’s gun with intentions to sell it, the press release states. A Snapchat video shows an advertisement to sell the firearm that the middle school student, the 15-year-old and the 16-year-old made to sell the weapon.

The weapon was stolen from the mother of one suspect, the press release states. The mother intends to press charges on the students, including on her child.

All three teens are being held at the Dept. of Juvenile Justice.

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