ST. PETERSBURG - Three teens were arrested Monday on charges of possessing an unloaded handgun at Lakewood High School.
Sgt. William Korinek said the .45-caliber semiautomatic was stolen from the St. Petersburg home of a bail bondsman and brought to school Thursday by a 14-year-old student.
Detectives are investigating how the teen got the stolen gun. Police say he allowed a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old to hold the gun on campus, 1400 54th Ave. S..
"They were hanging out in the bathroom passing it around," Korinek said.
Korinek said the investigation began when a student contacted authorities after seeing the gun in the 14-year-old's book bag. Police recovered the gun from the 15-year-old, who traded a gas mask for it.
Ron Stone, spokesman for the Pinellas County School Board, would not comment on the students' disciplinary status. Stone said that students who carry weapons on campus are suspended pending an investigation into whether they should be expelled.
