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Brevard County student brings gun to middle school

INDIALANTIC, Fla. — In Brevard County, security is on the minds of many parents Thursday after two incidents involving guns at schools this week.

A teenager was arrested at Hoover Middle School near Indialantic on Wednesday.

He made a first appearance in court one day after another student from Eau Gallie High School saw the judge for a similar crime.

Parents said all the responsibility can't fall on law enforcement.

The question many parents had Thursday afternoon is where the teens got the guns.

Law enforcement is still trying to find an answer.

In the case at Hoover Middle, deputies aren't getting much cooperation from the teen accused of bringing a gun on campus.

Joshua Harshaw was the second teenager in as many days to face a Brevard County judge on a charge of bringing a gun to school.

Harshaw was arrested Wednesday at Hoover Middle School after a school resource officer got a tip that a student was carrying a weapon.

The Sheriff's Office said a search of Harshaw's backpack revealed an unloaded semiautomatic.

The incident came just a day after 15-year-old Alren Dean was arrested at Eau Gallie High School on charges of carrying an unloaded gun in a backpack.

"You know how kids are -- they all like to play with guns. But the parents are the one got to keep an eye on them," said grandparent David McGrotty.

So far, there's been no indication the students made any threats in either case. The sheriff said two guns at two schools is reason enough for concern.

"For us, that's always a concern, how did they get the firearm and what was the reason for bringing it on campus?" Sheriff Wayne Ivey with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office had an increased presence at area schools prior to this week's incidents.

For the first time, the sheriff said his agency is looking at other security measures like site plans for individual schools that would give deputies an idea of what they're walking into before an actual emergency.

The sheriff and school district credit cooperation among parents, students and staff rather than complicated security planning with resolving the latest incidents.

Both Dean and Harshaw have court dates scheduled later in May.