Lakeland High Fight Reveals .38 Special

Donnie Baranowski has two teenagers attending classes at Lakeland High School and says while it’s sad it’s come down to this, it’s time to install metal detectors at the school.

Baranowski says, “They could catch kids bringing guns or any other kinds of weapons, a knife, or something like that.”

He adds, “I remember when I was in school and we didn’t have to worry about things like that.”

Baranowski and other parents say they’re concerned after Lakeland Police say a school resource officer tried to break up a fist fight on Tuesday morning around 11:20 a.m. between 18-year-old Antonio Robinson and an unidentified teen who is under age.   

The school resource officer says the teens wouldn’t stop fighting, so he used a taser on them. While the two teens were being searched, the officer says he found a .38 special pistol. It was loaded and was in Robinson’s backpack he says.  

Maribel, a mother who also has two teens attending Lakeland High School, learned of the gun in the backpack incident from 10 News. She says parents need to be more involved in their kids lives. “Wow. They should do something. The parents should be taking care more of their kids. Their own kids. What activities, what friends they’re hanging around. I just got robbed a couple of days ago and they’re teenagers.”

Maribel was so shaken up over over that incident that she doesn’t want to reveal her last name. She’s committed to protecting her children and says after the incident at the high school, she feels metal detectors are a must. “Yeah, if it’s safer for the kids and the parents.”

10 News tried to speak with someone at Lakeland High about the incident and about metal detectors, but we were told to leave and to contact the Polk County School Board. A spokesman with the school district said no one will speak on the subject until Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Antonio Robinson remains in jail. The teen who is not being identified because of his age is being held in juvenile detention. Both have been suspended from school.

10 News  reveals