Man with gun on campus found by police
Stephanie Baker
Issue date: 2/10/09 Section: News
A man was carrying a loaded revolver when he was taken into custody Jan. 7 at the Downtown Campus in connection with an off-campus criminal investigation, according to a police report.
Marcus D. Wright, 19, of Jacksonville, was carrying a .38 revolver in his front pocket when he was taken into custody on the first floor of the A Building by police with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, according to a JSO arrest report.
He was arrested in connection with an armed robbery reported on Nov, 16, 2008, on West Beaver Street in downtown Jacksonville. In that incident, according to the police report, two women told police that they were robbed at gunpoint by two men, who then fled the area on foot.
On Jan. 7, one of the women told her husband that she had seen one of the suspects. Then her husband, accompanied by the JSO officer on campus, found Wright at the Learning Center on the second floor of the A Building. Police escorted him to the Security Office on the first floor. According to the JSO police report, Wright denied his involvement in the robbery.
Wright was registered for classes this semester, but was dropped for non-attendance, so is not considered a current student at FCCJ, said Dean of Student Success Sandra Willis.
Wright was charged with armed robbery, carrying a concealed firearm, and carrying a concealed firearm into a college. Wright is currently being housed at the pretrial detention center.
According to Florida law, it is illegal to possess any weapon on any school campus. Violation of this law is a third degree felony.
Edythe Abdullah, president of Downtown Campus, said that any student caught on campus with a weapon faces a trespass warning, and could be permanently suspended.
According to Abdullah, there are many safety measures taken at the Downtown Campus. These measures include 24-hour security, JSO officers working all day and night, and surveillance cameras everywhere.
Downtown Campus has upgraded the lights outside the college and added a panic button for extra security. All students and faculty members at the Downtown Campus are required to display their membership identification cards at all times.
"I would not say that our campus is much different from other urban campuses," said Abdullah.
Marcus D. Wright, 19, of Jacksonville, was carrying a .38 revolver in his front pocket when he was taken into custody on the first floor of the A Building by police with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, according to a JSO arrest report.
He was arrested in connection with an armed robbery reported on Nov, 16, 2008, on West Beaver Street in downtown Jacksonville. In that incident, according to the police report, two women told police that they were robbed at gunpoint by two men, who then fled the area on foot.
On Jan. 7, one of the women told her husband that she had seen one of the suspects. Then her husband, accompanied by the JSO officer on campus, found Wright at the Learning Center on the second floor of the A Building. Police escorted him to the Security Office on the first floor. According to the JSO police report, Wright denied his involvement in the robbery.
Wright was registered for classes this semester, but was dropped for non-attendance, so is not considered a current student at FCCJ, said Dean of Student Success Sandra Willis.
Wright was charged with armed robbery, carrying a concealed firearm, and carrying a concealed firearm into a college. Wright is currently being housed at the pretrial detention center.
According to Florida law, it is illegal to possess any weapon on any school campus. Violation of this law is a third degree felony.
Edythe Abdullah, president of Downtown Campus, said that any student caught on campus with a weapon faces a trespass warning, and could be permanently suspended.
According to Abdullah, there are many safety measures taken at the Downtown Campus. These measures include 24-hour security, JSO officers working all day and night, and surveillance cameras everywhere.
Downtown Campus has upgraded the lights outside the college and added a panic button for extra security. All students and faculty members at the Downtown Campus are required to display their membership identification cards at all times.
"I would not say that our campus is much different from other urban campuses," said Abdullah.