Craig Anthony Richards was sitting in class at Meade High School on Tuesday when he dropped something on the classroom floor ? an unloaded handgun.
The 16-year-old freshman apparently recovered the gun, but not before a classmate noticed it and later tipped police.
Now the juvenile is being charged as an adult, according to the Anne Arundel police report.
“He is being charged as an adult for the seriousness of the offenses he committed,” said county police spokesman Cpl. Mark Shawkey.
“He ought to have known better.”
Police are not revealing Richards? motive for bringing a weapon to class, but said the behavior is inexcusable.
“Regardless of any reason he gave us, nothing is an acceptable reason to bring a gun to school,” said Sgt. Sara Schriver, county police spokeswoman.
“Fortunately, we were able to control it and prevent complete chaos.”
Richards, who turns 17 next month, lives in Maryland City. He is being charged with illegally transporting a handgun, possessing a gun on school property and concealing a dangerous weapon, according to the police report.
The .25 mm semiautomatic handgun had a magazine, but contained no rounds, and no bullets were found on Richards. He was carrying the gun in his waistband, police said.
The gun went unnoticed by school staff, Shawkey said. The anonymous student reported the weapon to the school resource officer, who immediately took Richards out of class and placed him under arrest without incident after finding the gun, police said.
Shawkey said no noticeable crime problems have occurred at Meade High outside of a large brawl on the last day of school in June.
Police crime data show there have been 30 assaults, four narcotic violations and 11 weapon offensives in the area around the school, which includes Route 175.
