A 15-year-old youth was arrested Wednesday and charged with carrying a gun on the campus of Lehigh Senior High School on Gunnery Rd.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the youth was identified as David Abel Rodriguez of 4302 W. 13th St., Lehigh.

According to Cpl. Andrew Penny, two students appeared at the entrance gate of the school earlier and the gatekeeper would not let them in, but instead called the officer assigned to the school.

Penny said he confronted the two juveniles, one a former student and asked why they were at the school trying to get on the campus.

Both said they wanted to see some of their friends. Penny told the two to stay outside the front gate and wait for their friends to come off campus since school was soon to end.

In the meantime, Penny parked his patrol car nearby and began conducting end of the day business for the closing of the school day.

At around 1:50 p.m., Penny said the other male told the deputy that he should probably check out the other juvenile who had gone onto the school campus. When asked if the boy had something he was not supposed to have, the male, whose name was being withheld, told the deputy that he should probably check him out.

Penny found the juvenile leaving the northeast corner of the main school building.

The officer confronted the suspect and placed him under arrest for trespassing on school grounds.

During a search of the suspect, Penny said he found a black semi-automatic handgun tucked in the front, right side of Rodriguez’s waistcoat under his blue shirt. The firearm was seized and other officers were called to the scene.

The deputy said the school’s assistant principal asked Rodriguez why he had brought a gun onto the school grounds. According to the official police report, Penny said Rodriguez answered by saying that he was given the gun by a friend on the bus ramp.

The weapon was identified as a Walther P-22, 22 calibre, semi-automatic handgun with a black finish. A warrant check revealed the gun had not been reported stolen.

“Rodriguez was taken to the Lee County Jail’s Juvenile Assessment Center without incident.

Jeff Spiral, the school’s principal, when called, was unavailable for comment.