BATON ROUGE — Two 16-year-olds were charged on Thursday after guns were found at two separate Baton Rouge high schools, according to the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to McKinley High School after a sophomore was reported to have a gun. School administrators say they discovered a .40 caliber pistol with an installed switch to make the weapon fully automatic in the student’s book bag, along with a separate loaded magazine.
The student, whose name is not being released because he is a minor, was booked into East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center on charges of illegal carrying of a firearm in a firearm-free zone and unlawful handling of a machine gun. Deputies noted that the gun had been reported missing from another parish.
In a separate incident, deputies were also called to Belaire High School, where school staff reportedly found a sophomore with a .45 caliber pistol in his locker. The discovery was prompted by an anonymous report.
The gun was not loaded, and the student was also booked into juvenile detention on charges of illegal carrying of a firearm in a firearm-free zone and juvenile possession of a firearm.
Deputies stated that no threats were made against any other students in either incident.
Students with information about similar incidents are encouraged to notify a school administrator, contact the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office at 225-389-5000, or reach out to Crime Stoppers anonymously at (225) 344-STOP or (225) 344-7867. Students can also text “CS225” along with their message to CRIMES (274637).
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