Leesburg High freshman arrested after loaded gun found in backpack
LEESBURG, Fla.—A Leesburg High School freshman was arrested for possessing a loaded, stolen gun Thursday after a Lake County Sheriff’s Office vape-detection dog alerted on the student’s backpack.
K9 Samba and her handler Erica Samborski assisted Leesburg Police Department school resource officers with a prescheduled visit to LHS for a routine check for contraband and illegal items. Samba alerted on a backpack in the media room where students often leave their belongings, according to LCSO. No students were present at the time of the search and after Samba’s alert, the backpack was searched and a loaded 9mm Glock was found. The gun was one of two that were stolen from an unlocked vehicle that was burglarized in Lake County. Three vapes and a cigar were also found in the backpack, LCSO said.
“Leesburg School Resource Officers took possession of the firearm and arrested the 9th grade student. To ensure the safety of all students, Leesburg officers conducted a thorough search of the immediate area and added an officer to the campus for additional security throughout the remainder of the day,” LPD Lt. Shannon Walsh said in an email. “This remains an active investigation, and Leesburg detectives are conducting further inquiries.”
Earlier this month, K9 Samba was honored with the Back the Blue Award by then-Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. Moody was appointed to the U.S. Senate Thursday by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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