OVIEDO, Fla. – An Oviedo High School student now faces four charges, including possession of a firearm on school property, following a gun scare at the school’s homecoming dance over the weekend.
Oviedo police said Tuesday that the student, is also facing charges of aggravated assault, improper exhibition of firearm or dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of firearm by a minor.
News 6 has decided not to name the student at this time.
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The Oviedo High School homecoming dance was canceled on Saturday after at least two students said a classmate brought a gun to the dance. Some students said they thought they heard gunshots, but police said no shots were fired.
Oviedo police said the gun has not been found.
“We immediately — once everybody left — immediately started looking, checking the area trying to find a firearm,” Oviedo Police Chief Dale Coleman said. “They did a thorough search that night but the next day, the day shift patrol along with Seminole County deputies and some off-duty firefighter from the city went up there and combed the school as best as they could and looked everywhere — even took out some metal detectors and searched high and low and didn’t find anything.”
Investigators said the boy denied having a gun. Police said the new charge is the result of the investigation, including witness statements.
“If you have eyewitness testimony, a gun is something that people recognize and they can articulate that that is something that they saw and we have sworn statements that says they saw a firearm and there is no reason they have not had to not believe what they have told us. It has been more than one witness,” the chief said.
The chief said the boy’s family has been cooperative so far with the investigation; however, when asked whether the family was missing a gun the chief said “I don’t know that.”
The chief also said it was not clear how the student got back on campus after he had already been trespassed from the school earlier in the evening.
“I don’t know. It was a very large crowd and even though the school is secure, there’s still — you know, if somebody opens the door for you, you can get in but I don’t know how he got in,” Coleman said.
Anyone with any more information about the case is asked to call the Oviedo Police Department, at 407-971-5700.