Redland Middle School student arrested, expelled after gun found in backpack

ELMORE COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) - A student at Redland Middle School has been arrested and expelled after an incident Thursday in which a gun was brought onto the campus, the Elmore County Board of Education and Elmore County Sheriff’s Office have confirmed.

Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said the student, a 13-year-old seventh-grader, brought a .44 Magnum handgun to school. He said while the weapon was unloaded, there were six bullets found beside it in the child’s backpack.

Franklin said the student was taken before a juvenile court judge Thursday, who determined he should be transported to the Airbase Boulevard youth detention facility in Montgomery pending a future hearing.

Franklin said his office had no known previous interactions with the student or his family and could not say whether any charges would be brought against the parents at this time.

As for a motive for bringing the gun to school, the sheriff indicated the student has a girlfriend and there was “apparently a squabble with another male.”

The ECBOE held an emergency-called board meeting at 8 a.m. Friday during which time members approved a recommendation by Superintendent Richard Dennis to move forward with expulsion of the unnamed student.

The school system said after the gun was found in the student’s backpack, the school was secured and administrators began working with law enforcement on an investigation.

The expulsion will remain in effect for the rest of the 2022-2023 school year and for the 2023-2024 school year and “a petition was filed by the school and will be pursued,” the superintendent’s office said.

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