TAMPA, Fla. — Police arrested an eighth-grade student accused of bringing a weapon to school on Monday.
The Tampa Police Department said in a news release that the student was arrested at Stewart Middle School after a parent reported seeing the 14-year-old girl “activating an electronic stun weapon, designed to look like a lipstick case.”
Police said that the device was not used on, or aimed at, any individuals.
The parent contacted the school, and officials at the school met the bus as it arrived and directed the student to an office, WTSP reported.
The teenager’s backpack was searched by officials who said they found the device in the bag. The 14-year-old was charged with possession of a weapon on school property, a felony.
“While we often say it, this is a prime example of ‘See Something, Say Something’ at work,” Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor said. “In this case, a member of our community did not hesitate to say something when she had a concern for the safety of others. As officers can’t be everywhere at all times, we rely on our community to be our additional eyes and ears in reporting any type of suspicious activity so we can address it quickly.”