You can now listen to Antigua News articles!
Clare Hall Secondary School (Photo Credit ABS)
A 15-year-old Clare Hall Secondary School student, who was said to have brought a firearm to school, has been cleared of firearm-related charges following a review by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The case, which stemmed from a September 27, 2024 incident where the student was allegedly seen with a firearm on school grounds, was dismissed at the Child Justice Board on February 13. The initial charge of using a firearm to commit assault was later modified to attempted use of a weapon.
The DPP’s office determined in late January that the police evidence was insufficient to support the charges.
Despite the teenager’s admission to possessing a weapon, police never recovered the firearm, and no additional offenses were reported.
The crown counsel concluded that the student’s actions and statements to peers failed to establish attempted criminal conduct under section 13 of the Firearms Act.
The incident prompted a hours-long school lockdown, with students confined to campus while police conducted an extensive search.
The teen was arrested the same day and spent time in His Majesty’s Prison before securing bail on his second High Court application.
Separately, the student faces an ongoing legal challenge regarding his expulsion from the public school system.
How you go to school with a gun and scare your classmates, teachers and all and sundry and charges dropped? Ok so it was your brother or cousin gun who just happened to be a police officer but did it make it right to take it? And come to school? Education officials had to leave their work that day and come to attend to your messy vibes and you walk home just like that? Anyway this system is so flawed. God forbid some other sick thinking kid does this.
This particular incident raises the question of preparedness the education ministry was not prepared for a situation such as this. As usual we wait for something to happen then we react and blunder most of the time.
SMFH even after admittance case thrown out. May God be with you all. Its only a concern when it hits home
ANTIGUA IS SHIT. So a teen seen at school with a firearm, admit to having the firearm. however his brother or whatever, appears to be an officer, also the owner of the firearm, so the charges of having a firearm on the school compound, endangering other students and teachers were dropped against this teen. I failed english but this summary helps me better understand why the charges were dropped. WELCOME TO ANTIGUA, OH BEAUTIFUL, WE LOVE YOU. Antigua Surf over and out.