BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Broward high school student appeared in court Friday morning after police accused him of bringing a gun to his school on Thursday.
Fort Lauderdale police confirmed Kaylon Hubbard Jr., 15, was found with a gun with blank ammunition in his backpack at Dillard High School, located at 2501 NW 11th St.
Earlier that morning, authorities said another teen arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound, leading Fort Lauderdale police to say the two incidents were connected.
At approximately 9:06 am, a Fort Lauderdale police detail officer responded to Broward Health Medical Center after being advised of a 16-year-old male arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound.
Police said the teenager told officers that he accidentally shot himself outside of Church’s Chicken near the 1100 block of Northwest 24th Avenue.
Authorities confirmed the teen’s injuries were non-life threatening.
The high school was placed on a “secure status” following the incident.
Investigators said school staff became aware of the gun on campus after performing an administrative search of Hubbard’s belongings and immediately notified the school resource officer.
Dillard High School Principal Cassandra Robinson told parents in a statement Thursday that no threats were made to the school and any point during the incident and the student (Hubbard) was arrested.
Students at the school told Local 10 News they were not notified about the gun found but only put on lockdown.
The incident has created serious concerns for parents.
“I think they should have a metal detector upon the gates of entering the school before they get in the school, that way they can catch the weapons before they get in there,” said parent George Bowden, whose two daughters attend Dillard High School.
While some South Florida school districts like Palm Beach County have already implemented metal detectors in half of their schools, Local 10 News reporter Roy Ramos reached out to Broward County Schools to find out if they had planned to do the same.
A Broward County Schools spokesperson said the district has already begun screenings with handheld metal detectors at two random schools, five days a week. On Friday, they added to that with a statement that read in part:
“The incident at Dillard High School yesterday confirms the need to continue to prioritize the use of metal detectors in our high schools. The district plans are to implement the use of metal detectors in the upcoming 2024/25 school year.”
Hubbard’s defense attorney argued that the teen did not know that the gun was in his backpack.
Hubbard will spend the next 21 days in secure juvenile detention.
Court records show that he has had no prior convictions, and an expulsion will be up to the school board.
Authorities told Local 10 News that the 16-year-old teen who was shot was treated for his injury and is expected to survive. It is unclear if he will face any charges.