A 12-year-old East Naples Middle School student was charged with a felony after detectives said he brought a BB gun to school today, brandished it in front of classmates and said he planned to shoot a teacher.

 The student was taken into custody and charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds.

Sheriff Kevin Rambosk praised students for coming forward and reporting the incident to law enforcement and lauded detectives for working diligently to bring about a swift resolution. 

“This arrest enables us to connect this individual with mental health services and available resources,” Sheriff Rambosk said.

At least three students told a Collier County Sheriff’s Office Youth Relations deputy at the school that the student had a BB pistol in his backpack, was showing it to other students in the cafeteria and said he planned to either to point it at or shoot a teacher with it.

The Youth Relations deputy located the student and discovered a black Colt brand Defender BB pistol in his backpack. The pistol was loaded with a CO2 cartridge and steel BB pellets. The .177-caliber BB pistol displayed a warning on the side which read, in part: “Not a toy. Misuse may cause serious injury or death.” This BB pistol has a velocity of 440 feet per second and a “danger distance” of 325 yards.

The student was interviewed and later taken into custody. He will be processed through the Juvenile Assessment Center where he will also receive a full evaluation.