Juveniles Arrested After Gun Displayed At Santa Fe High School

ALACHUA ‒ Two juveniles were arrested Wednesday after police said a firearm was displayed in the parking lot of Santa Fe High School during an after-hours event.

Around 4:40 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2025, officers with the Alachua Police Department responded to the school following a report that a female student had brandished a gun in the parking lot, according to APD.

The caller provided a description of the suspect vehicle, a black Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as its license plate number and said both occupants had entered the school.

Officers arrived shortly after and located the vehicle leaving the campus. Police conducted a felony traffic stop at Northwest 171st Place and Northwest County Road 235A, where both juvenile occupants complied with commands and were taken into custody without incident, police said.

During the investigation, officers learned a loaded handgun was inside the locked glove compartment of the vehicle. According to police, one juvenile admitted unlocking the compartment so the other could retrieve and display the firearm before returning it. The second juvenile denied involvement.

The firearm, which belonged to a parent of one of the juveniles, was recovered and found to have six live rounds in the magazine, police said. The weapon was seized as evidence.

Both juveniles were arrested and charged with possession of a weapon on school property (F.S.S. 790.115.2b). They were transported to the Alachua County Juvenile Detention Center.

“The safety of the students and school campuses is a top priority for the Alachua Police Department,” APD Chief Jesse J. Sandusky said in a statement. “We have zero tolerance for weapons on school property and will take swift action to ensure a secure learning environment for everyone.”

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