TAMPA, Fla — A Tampa middle school teacher brought a loaded gun to school, which ended up allegedly being taken by a student.
Tampa Police Department (TPD) said they have charged Akeen Barthol, 32, with possession of a weapon on school grounds and allowing a child to possess a firearm on the school grounds.
Police said that Barthol, the physical education teacher, left the loaded handgun in his backpack on Monday in an unsecured gym storage room that students could access at Sligh Middle Magnet School.
A 13-year-old allegedly took that backpack from the storage room and went to a nearby restroom. TPD said that the teen took personal items from the backpack and left the gun and the backpack in the restroom.
When another student went to the bathroom, they found the backpack and the gun and told the school staff, according to officials.
Barthol was arrested and taken to jail.
TPD said the 13-year-old student was charged with grand theft and transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
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