Five students arrested, facing charges for bringing gun to Hernando High School

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office shared more details this morning in a press conference after three schools were placed on lockdown status yesterday after a student brought a gun to Hernando High School.

Early yesterday morning around 8:45 a.m., the Hernando High School Resource Officer, Deputy Pope, received information from a concerned parent that there may be a firearm on campus.

According to Sheriff Al Nienhuis, 15-year old Brandon Stringer apparently stole the firearm from a relative. Stringer took the gun on the bus, and then gave the gun to 17-year old Austin Kirby.

Investigators believe the intent was to sell the gun to three other individuals as Stringer and Kirby had made plans to meet up with them in a bathroom on campus at the school.

The transaction didn’t go as the boys had planned.

Stringer and Kirby met up with 17-year old Jordan Hudson and two of his friends in the school bathroom. Kirby gave the gun to Hudson for inspection. Hudson racked the gun a few times and then he and his friends 17-year old Keandre Hopkins and 17-year old Sheldon Robinson ran out of the bathroom, stealing the gun.

Hudson then left the campus and returned a short time later to sign out and call a relative to pick him up saying he was not feeling well. His relative picked him up and drove him home. Hudson then hid the gun under a mattress in the relative’s house.

During the investigation, deputies went to the relative’s house where Hudson stayed at times. Upon searching the house they found a bb gun, a Mossberg 402 Palomino shot gun and an Italian Carcano 6.5 mm rifle in addition to the 9mm Ruger, under a mattress.

All five students were arrested and charged as follows:

Keandre was placed under arrest for the charge(s) of principle to grand theft of a firearm and possession or discharging a firearm on school property. Keandre is currently out on conditional release.

Jordan was placed under arrest for the charge(s) grand theft of a firearm and possession or discharging a firearm on school property.

Sheldon was placed under arrest for the charge(s) of principle to grand theft of a firearm and possession or discharging a firearm on school property.