“NO WEAPONS ALLOWED ON CAMPUS PER F.S.S. 790.115 3RD DEGREE FELONY”—signs with this text accompanied with  a graphic of a gun and knife covered by a prohibition symbol appeared at the Lot 1 entrance to the school late October. 

F.S.S. 790.115 is a Florida statute prohibiting the possession or discharge of weapons at school-spondered events or school property. 

Despite the statute, administration anticipated possible problems with the presence of weapons on campus due to a decision made September by Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeal. This decision legalized open carry, so the administration put the signs up to ensure nobody would mistakenly believe they were allowed to have weapons on campus.

“We’re just putting it out there, saying ‘Hey, just a reminder, we don’t want weapons on campus,’” Heritage Principal Mr. Osmel Rodriguez said.

Mr. Rodriguez confirmed that the signs were put up in anticipation of possible misunderstandings rather than any particular incident.

“It’s just us being proactive,” he said.

_{Though the signs only appeared recently, Heritage has always prohibited weapons. “No one should have a weapon on them other than our security guards … and our police officers,” Mr. Rodriguez said. (Photo/Alex Ngo)}