A juvenile male student was found in possession of a small caliber handgun at Dalewood Middle School on Wednesday.
The student was taken into custody by the Chattanooga Police Department on unrelated charges.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office filed a charge of possession of a weapon on school grounds with Hamilton County Juvenile Court.
Members of the community informed Dalewood Middle administrators over the weekend of possible illegal activity in the community that may have involved a student.
The student did not attend school on Tuesday, the first school day after the spring break, but came to school on Wednesday and upon arrival on campus was immediately taken to the office by the school SRO and administrators.
The student was then taken into custody by the Chattanooga Police Department.
Officials said, "Communication and cooperation between the community, Chattanooga Police, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, and school administration helped to keep children at Dalewood safe in this situation. We appreciate parents and the community sharing safety concerns with us so that we can anticipate potential problems. We also appreciate our partnership with law enforcement in the community and their support in the area of school safety. Safety is a top priority for everyone at Dalewood Middle and in Hamilton County Schools. Working together we can keep our children safe."