Teen sentenced to 5 years for bringing loaded gun to Virginia High School

A Virginia high school student will serve five years in prison for bringing a loaded gun onto school grounds earlier this year, officials said.

Anthony Orion Dalton, 17, was sentenced Oct. 8 to a total of 9 years in prison, with 4 years suspended, after he was found in April in possession of a firearm on campus, according to a press release on October 9 from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

He will remain at the Roanoke Valley Juvenile Detention Center until he turns 18, when he will be transferred to an adult detention facility to complete his sentence, according to the release.

Dalton shared a photo on Snapchat on April 1 showing the gun he brought to Franklin County High School, WSET, Wdbj7and Roanoke Times reported.

A school resource officer was alerted to the photo, and a deputy and administrator confronted Dalton and found the loaded gun in his bag, according to the outlets.

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, according to WDBJ, WSET and WSLS.

“This sentence reflects the severity of the crime and reinforces that guns have no place in our schools,” Sheriff Bill Overton said in the release. “Our school resource deputies play a critical role in maintaining the safety of our campuses, and their quick response – along with our school partners – made all the difference that day.”

Officials said the case “serves as a powerful reminder of the seriousness of bringing a firearm onto school property and the life-changing consequences that can result,” according to the news release. The sheriff’s office urged parents to discuss gun safety with their children, repeating its message: “See something, say something,” according to the release.