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Middle school student arrested after bringing gun to school
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A student at Jimmy Carter Middle School was arrested Tuesday after bringing a loaded gun to the West Side school, marking the 14th gun recovered at an Albuquerque Public Schools campus this school year, according to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office.
The 13-year-old male student was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon on school property and booked into the Bernalillo County juvenile detention center, according to a social media post by the DA’s office. The boy is awaiting a hearing to determine if he will remain behind bars until trial.
“Kids are treating these guns like trophies, and somehow they look at them as a trophy,” District Attorney Sam Bregman said in a phone interview. “This whole glorification of guns is becoming really out of hand when it comes to young people in New Mexico.”
The student could be facing “expulsion and potential prosecution,” according to a letter from school Principal Michelle Velasquez that was sent to parents and shared with the Journal.
“It is imperative that all members of our community remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities. Every reported threat, no matter how seemingly insignificant, will be treated with utmost seriousness. We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and staff,” Velasquez wrote.
School administrators acted within two minutes of finding out the student had a gun, and district police arrested the student, according to APS spokesperson Martin Salazar.
Both the school district and the DA’s office say the motive for why the student brought the gun to school is unclear.
