OAKLAND PARK, Fla. — A South Florida high school student faced a judge Thursday, a day after allegedly bringing a weapon onto his school campus.
Hayden Hanstein, 18, was arrested Wednesday and is facing a charge of possessing a weapon on school property.
According to court transcripts, he is a student at Northeast High School in Oakland Park.
He was in a courtroom on Thursday morning, where defense attorneys argued that Hanstein is an honor student, has first responders in his family and did not realize he couldn’t bring a stun gun into the school parking lot.
Prosecutors argued that Hanstein knew exactly what he was doing and brought the weapon to show off to his friends.
According to an arrest report, Hanstein discharged the weapon several times while showing it to his friends, and a school security officer heard it going off. That officer then retrieved the weapon from Hanstein and contacted the Broward Sheriff’s Office, per the report.
Ultimately, a judge ruled there was probable cause on Hanstein’s charge.
He was granted a $1,000 bond and was told he must stay away from all firearms, weapons and ammunition.
Local 10 News has reached out to Broward County Public Schools for a statement, and they provided a ParentLink message that was sent to parents by the school’s principal, Anthony Valachovic.
The message stated, in part:
“This morning, our security team safely confiscated a Taser that was found in the possession of one of our students in the parking lot. The weapon was secured without incident, and the student was taken into custody by police. I want to assure you this situation did not involve any threats toward our school, students, or staff. The student will face appropriate school disciplinary measures.”
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