Lakewood High student arrested for gun on campus

ST. PETERSBURG - A Lakewood High student who brought a loaded semiautomatic handgun to school was arrested Friday on various charges, including marijuana possession and carrying a concealed firearm, police said.

Xavier Williams, 17, was caught after his father, Earl Alston, came to school and told a police officer that his son had stolen his gun. School officials told Alston that his son hadn’t shown up for class in months, and began looking for him.

An officer saw Williams aboard a school bus and arrested him. Williams had a .380 caliber handgun, five rounds of ammunition and marijuana, police said. He told police that he carried the gun for protection.

- Abhi Raghunathan, staff writer