There was no evidence of a threat to anyone at the school, the Dade City Police Department said.

DADE CITY – An 18-year-old senior at Pasco High School is accused of bringing a Del-Ton AR-15 onto campus this morning (Feb. 23), the Dade City Police Department said.

Dillon Nathanial Xynides, 18, of San Antonio, FL, was charged with possession of a weapon on school property, a third degree felony.

The firearm was found in Xynides’ truck by an administrator who was walking the parking lot. The staff member saw shotgun shells in the bed of the truck and, after looking into the passenger compartment, saw a gun case on the seat. Officer said Xynides was contacted and opened the case, which contained an AR-15 weapon and ammunition.

Police said Xynides has no prior disciplinary actions. He did post a video of the firearm on Snapchat Thursday (Feb. 22) evening, but made no threats. The school was never placed in a lock down. Xynides has cooperated with investigators. Officers said they met with Xynides’ mother, who was also cooperative.

However, Acting Police Chief James Walters said the department has a longstanding policy of zero tolerance when it comes to the presence of weapons on school property.

“We take the matters of school safety very seriously and feel a great obligation to establish and maintain a safe learning environment for all students and staff in our schools,” Walters said. “We will not take any less chance in protecting the students in our schools than we would if they were our own children.”

Walters urged parents to take an active role in monitoring their children’s behavior and in knowing what is going on with their lives and relationships. He said parents should be especially aware of dangererous activities related to weapons of any kind. Parents must stay fully engaged in the activities of their children and seek help when they see any signs of a problem, he said.

Dade City Police | School Shooting | AR-15 | Rifle | Arrests | Crime | Tampabay News

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