A 16-year-old male student from Lake Hills Academy in Mascotte was arrested today for having a handgun on a Lake County school bus this morning. The school’s administration was notified after another student on the bus saw the student with the gun. By that time, the bus had already departed from the school.
Deputies had reason to believe that the gun was left on the bus and not brought into the school. They quickly began investigating the claim and responded to the bus parking lot located on Golf Links Avenue in Eustis. Upon searching the bus, a Glock handgun was located on the back seat, concealed in a sweatshirt. The gun was holstered and unloaded; no ammunition was found.
Deputies continued investigating and were able to review footage from the bus’s security camera, which showed 16-year-old Trace James Richardson removing his sweatshirt and leaving it in that same seat.
ased upon witness statements and the video evidence, Richardson was arrested and charged with possessing a firearm on school property. He will be detained by the Division of Juvenile Justice.
Lake Hills Academy is an alternative school located at 513 Albrook Street in Mascotte.
