Over the past week, local media has brought news of at least three teenagers charged with bringing weapons to school and another teenager who is accused of the forcible rape of another at school.
Oklahoma violent crime lawyers understand that, although the state is generally perceived as gun-friendly, there are still gun laws outlining who can and cannot lawfully own a gun, and there are gun laws prohibiting the possession of weapons in certain locations.
Oklahoma Gun Laws
Under Oklahoma law, a minor under the age of 18 is not permitted to possess a weapon, except a rifle or shotgun for hunting, sport, or education under supervision. No one except law enforcement officers is allowed to carry a firearm on school grounds. In the past week, two OKC metro area teens have violated both laws the underage possession of a firearm and possessing that gun on school grounds.
Similarly, a third teen was arrested for bringing a knife to school. On March 2, 2012, Moore police arrested a 15-year-old boy after a loaded gun was found in his locker. It was determined that the gun had been stolen from a car during a recent string of automobile burglaries.
The teen was arrested at Moore's Central Junior High on complaints of possession of a firearm on school grounds and possession of stolen properties. Though the suspect is a juvenile, state law requires that the names of youthful offenders be released if the crime with which they were charged would be a felony if committed by an adult.
The teen is suspected in the automobile burglaries and in the theft of four-wheeled ATVs from area homes. On March 6, another 15-year-old student was arrested for possession of a gun on school property. The Ponca City High school student was arrested when it was determined that he brought a handgun to school.
Police declined to say where the gun was found and whether or not it was loaded, but they did say no threats were made. Because the student has not been criminally charged as of this writing, police have not released his name.
Finally, a 14-year-old girl was arrested yesterday for bringing a knife to school in Oklahoma City. The knife was discovered during backpack scanning at Northwest Classen High School.
Initially, the girl told authorities the knife must have "fallen into" her back pack, but later admitted she brought it to school because she was having problems with a male student who was bullying her and who threatened to kill her. As of this writing, she has not been charged.
School Violence in Oklahoma
When it comes to violence at school, gun possession is not the only threat. A Norman teenager has been charged with rape and forcible sodomy after a 16-year-old girl told a school counselor that she was forced into a wrestling locker room at Norman North High School and raped. According to the 15-year-old suspect, sex between the two was consensual and did not occur on school grounds.
Police, however, say that physical evidence obtained at the seen refutes the teen's claims. If your child is in trouble with the law, it can be very frightening for you as a parent. You want to protect your child and his or her future. You want to avoid having a foolish youthful mistake haunt your child for the rest of his or her life. Get sound legal counsel and aggressive defense when you hire an Oklahoma juvenile sex crime lawyer or gun possession attorney in Oklahoma City.
