A 17-year-old has been charged after bringing a loaded gun to Milwaukee’s Groppi High School on June 12 and chasing a student while holding the gun in his hand, according to a criminal complaint.
Devonte Galom, 17, of Milwaukee, was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court June 16 with one felony count of possession of a firearm on school grounds, one misdemeanor count of possession of a dangerous weapon and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, use of a dangerous weapon.
Galom made his initial appearance June 16. He entered not guilty pleas to the misdemeanor counts and had a cash bond of $2,500 set for him. A preliminary hearing has been set for June 24, according to online court records.
Zoe Plovanich, Galom’s attorney, did not immediately respond to a reporter’s phone call requesting comment.
For the possession of a firearm on school grounds charge, Galom faces up to three and a half years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. For the possession of a dangerous weapon charge, Galom faces up to nine months in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. For the count of disorderly conduct, use of a dangerous weapon, Galom faces up to nine months in prison, which could be increased by up to six months due to committing a crime with a dangerous weapon, a $1,000 fine or both, according to the criminal complaint.
According to the criminal complaint:
A Milwaukee police officer responded to Groppi High School, 1312 N. 27th St, on June 12 around 3 p.m. after receiving a report of a student brandishing a weapon while chasing a fellow student.
When the officer arrived, he noticed a student, later identified as Galom, standing next to an exit inside the school. The officer patted Galom down and found a black .40 caliber Glock 22 firearm in Galom’s waistband loaded with 15 live rounds in the magazine and an additional chambered round, the criminal complaint said.
A Groppi High School teacher who police interviewed said he saw a fight between Galom and the victim, whom the complaint said was a minor, fight inside a classroom before the victim ran out of the classroom with Galom chasing the victim.
The victim’s father said Galom had been threatening the victim and that the victim had missed a week and a half of school as a result, the complaint said.
When the officer reviewed surveillance video from inside the school, it showed Galom chasing the victim with a firearm in his hand. When the victim went into a locked classroom, Galom tried unsuccessfully to open the door and pounded it. Galom eventually tucked the weapon into his pants and was apprehended by police, the complaint said.
Contact Alec Johnson at 262-875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on X at @AlecJohnson12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 17-year-old charged with bringing loaded gun to Groppi High School
Reporting by Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
