A book bag hanging out of an open locker led to the arrest of an 18 year old student this morning after a school staff member discovered it contained a gun when he attempted to close and secure the locker, OCSO said.
Orange County Deputies were dispatched to The Life Skills Center, 4505 South Orange Blossom Trail, at 8:45 AM today in response to a report that a gun had been recovered from a student’s book bag. Deputies arrived at the school and determined the firearm to be a very realistic Airsoft replica of a 9mm semi automatic handgun that had been altered to resemble the real thing. Typically Airsoft and similar replica guns are manufactured with a bright orange tip at the end of their barrels, or similar markings, so that they can be readily identified and distinguished from a genuine firearm. The orange identifier on the recovered weapon had been painted over giving the imitation gun the appearance of an actual firearm.
The owner of the book bag, Donald Marshall, Jr., 18 years, was located by deputies and questioned about the gun. Marshall told deputies he had inadvertently left the look-a-like weapon in his book bag and did not intend to bring it on his school’s campus. He was arrested and charged with possession of a weapon on school property, a third degree felony.
Marshall’s bond was set at $2,500.
