JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There was extra security at two area schools — Atlantic Coast High and Mandarin Middle School — after Duval County Public Schools sent an alert to parents from both schools Wednesday morning about five guns stolen from three suspects who attended the schools.
The message said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has informed the district they are pursuing three juvenile suspects, believed to be students at Mandarin Middle and Atlantic Coast, who are alleged to have stolen firearms from a residence.
According to a heavily redacted Jacksonville Sheriff's Office report, a woman said someone broke into her safe Sunday that had multiple firearms inside. She told officers she was in the hospital with her husband at the time, the report said. Officers noted the "safe" where the firearms were found consisted of "a normal closet with a door handle that allows it to be unlocked using a fingerprint and a digital keypad."
Later in the report, a witness said three suspects fled the area in an unknown direction on foot and believed they may have called an Uber, the report said.
The message to parents included adding "extra security steps." Metal detectors will be used to screen students, the message said.
"Because of this situation and in an abundance of caution, we will have additional officers at these schools. Atlantic Coast will use its Evolv weapons detection system and Mandarin will use its metal detectors to screen all students at in-take. Again, we wanted you to be aware of this situation and the steps we are taking to keep students and staff safe.
"That is always our first goal, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we implement these procedures. If we receive any additional information regarding this situation, we will be sure to share it with you," the message concluded.