A 17-year-old high school student in Virginia has been sentenced to five years in prison after bringing a loaded handgun onto school grounds earlier this year, authorities announced.
Anthony Orion Dalton received a total nine-year sentence on October 8, with four years suspended, following his conviction for possessing a firearm on campus in April, according to an October 9 press release from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
Dalton will remain at the Roanoke Valley Juvenile Detention Center until he turns 18, after which he will be transferred to an adult facility to complete his sentence, the release stated.
On April 1, Dalton posted a photo on Snapchat showing the gun he had brought to Franklin County High School, according to reports from WSET, WDBJ7, and The Roanoke Times.
A school resource officer was alerted to the post, and a deputy accompanied by a school administrator confronted Dalton, discovering the loaded firearm inside his bag, the outlets reported.
Dalton was tried as an adult and convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm on school property, and transportation of a firearm by a person under 18, per WDBJ, WSET, and WSLS.
“This sentencing reflects the severity of the offense and reinforces that weapons have no place in our schools,” Sheriff Bill Overton said in the statement. “Our School Resource Deputies play a critical role in maintaining the safety of our campuses, and their quick response—along with that of our school partners—made all the difference that day.”
Officials added that the case “serves as a powerful reminder of the seriousness of bringing a firearm onto school property and the life-altering consequences that can result.” The sheriff’s office encouraged parents to speak with their children about gun safety and repeated its message: “See something, say something.”
