A 15-year-old student faces charges after she brought a firearm onto the campus of Venice High School this week, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
On February 3, someone reported to school officials that a student had a weapon. Administrators moved quickly, working with law enforcement to locate and remove the firearm. Principal Zoltan Kerestely told families that everyone on campus was safe and said there was never an ongoing threat.
The next day, Kerestely sent another message, calling it “a serious safety incident.” He said the situation happened because some staff didn’t follow the established safety protocols, allowing the weapon onto school grounds. An investigation later confirmed that members of the school support team failed to do their jobs correctly. “This should not have happened and is unacceptable,” Kerestely said.
Authorities also arrested the student’s mother, Amber Dawn Strong, 45. According to a probable cause affidavit, she told a deputy the firearm was hers and that she’d left it inside a laptop bag in her daughter’s room. The sheriff’s office said Strong was arrested on February 3 for violating pretrial release conditions in a domestic violence case. She hadn’t turned over her firearm as required. Police seized the weapon.
Kerestely said the school has fixed the security lapse and is taking all necessary disciplinary actions. District security advisers are now on campus, and staff will undergo mandatory safety training as the school reviews and strengthens its supervision procedures.
Venice High’s principal emphasized that Sarasota County Schools enforces a zero-tolerance policy for weapons. He thanked the students who spoke up and the staff who responded when they saw something was wrong.
The 15-year-old faces a charge of possessing a firearm on school property.
