16-year-old Monarch High student arrested for having knife on campus, police say

A Monarch High School student was arrested Friday for having a knife on campus, a Broward School District spokesperson said in an email.

Sgt. Scotty Leamon, a spokesperson for Coconut Creek Police, said the student is a 16-year-old boy. He is facing a charge of possession of a weapon on school property, which is a third-degree felony in Florida.

Moira Sweeting-Miller, intern principal of the school, sent students’ families a message that said the student had a weapon on campus but did not specify what kind. The student will also face discipline at school, her message said.

“The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority parents, please remind your children that every threat is taken seriously and will result in serious consequences,” Sweeting-Miller told students’ families in the message.

The principal’s message did not provide additional information about the incident. Leamon said he could not release additional information because the investigation is ongoing.

So far in 2024, at least three other Broward County high school students have been arrested and face charges related to bringing weapons to campus.

In January, an 18-year-old student at Henry D. Perry Education Center was found with a loaded 9 mm handgun in his waistband, according to a probable cause affidavit. A week later, a Stranahan High School student was found with a loaded gun on campus, Fort Lauderdale Police said.

Two 17-year-old boys were arrested late last month at Deerfield Beach High School, where one of them was a student. A School District security specialist at the school saw the boy who did not attend the school sleeping in a car parked in the lot. A search of the car found two loaded handguns, loaded magazines and MDMA, or ecstasy, mushrooms and cannabis, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.