2 students charged after gun-in-school incident at Oakleaf High, police chief says

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Four students were involved in a gun-in-school incident Wednesday at Oakleaf High School, and two of them are now facing a felony charge, Clay County District Schools Police Chief Kenneth Wagner said.

Wagner said one student brought the small handgun to the high school, sparking a code red lockdown after another student reported seeing the firearm to school administrators and the School Resource Officer.

“It’s pretty traumatic for students, but at the end of the day, everything was safe,” Wagner said of the lockdown.

Two of the students have been charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds, which is a felony. They were taken to Duval Detention Center Wednesday night.

Wagner said the investigation is ongoing and still evolving regarding the other two students.

“We’re still looking at everything. School sanctions are ultimately another part of this whole process,” he said.

Wagner said it’s unclear why the student brought the gun to school.

One parent News4JAX spoke with, who wished to remain anonymous, said they hope to see some protocols change to prevent this from happening again.

“It is a nice school, but they still should have it where they might need to get checked to get inside the school,” the parent said. “How did he get it in the school? Maybe they need to wear clear backpacks like elementary.”

Parents and students are encouraged to make sure they have the SaferWatch app on their phones. They can use it to report any threats or get alerts on what’s happening at their school.

There will be more security at Oakleaf High on Thursday, Wagner said.