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Sheriff: 18-year-old student arrested after bringing gun to Florida school

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Updated  December 17, 2024 12:15pm EST
Osceola County
FOX 35 Orlando

Stream FOX 35 News

The Brief

    • Poinciana High School was on lockdown due to a "suspicious incident" on Tuesday morning, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.
    • Officers say Kori McBride, 18, was being searched by administration when he took off and left campus with his backpack containing a possible gun.
    • The school was placed on lockdown as a precaution. All students and staff are safe.
    • McBride was arrested on multiple charges Tuesday without further incident.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez hosts a press conference on the Poinciana High School lockdown that occurred Tuesday morning.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez provides an update on the lockdown of Poinciana High School on Tuesday and the subsequent arrest of a student.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez hosted a press conference Tuesday evening to address the Poinciana High School lockdown due to a "suspicious incident" earlier that day.

Lopez said deputies were alerted that the dean of the school had called 18-year-old Kori McBride to the office due to other faculty members alleging he smelled of marijuana.

The dean of the school began to search McBride's bag and felt something heavy that was clinking like metal, Lopez reported in the press conference. 

Officials say McBride took off and left campus with the backpack, and the school was put on lockdown as a safety precaution. 

Kori McBride, 18, faces multiple charges, including three counts of disruption of school functions, one count of possession of a weapon on school property, and one count of carrying a concealed firearm or weapon. [Credit: Osceola County Sheriff's Off

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Deputies say they found McBride off campus and detained him to talk.

Officers then say a person came up and told deputies they saw McBride putting something in the bushes nearby.

Lopez says officers went to the area and found a handgun wrapped in a sweater that belonged to the student, and McBride admitted to bringing the gun to campus.

At this time, Lopez said the department does not know the intentions behind McBride bringing the gun to school.

Kori McBride, 18, faces multiple charges, including three counts of disruption of school functions, one count of possession of a weapon on school property, and one count of carrying a concealed firearm or weapon. [Credit: Osceola County Sheriffs Offi

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Lopez said parents need to pay attention to what their children are bringing to school. 

"In this case, everything turned out OK," Lopez said in the press conference. "Thank God, no one was hurt. We've seen a rise in shootings all over America. Here in Osceola County, we're very serious about these (incidents), and we have a zero-tolerance approach."

Officers report McBride was arrested on multiple charges Tuesday without further incident. The charges include three counts of Disruption of School Functions, one count of Possession of a Weapon on School Property, one count of Carrying a Concealed Firearm or Weapon and one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance (marijuana) under 20 grams. 

Deputies say the incident was isolated and has concluded.

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The Source: The information in this article was provided by The School District of Osceola County and the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. 

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