MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee teen was charged with a felony last week after prosecutors say he brought a foldable gun the size of a wallet into a classroom.
Larell Walker, 17, was charged with one felony count of possession of a firearm on the grounds of a school. He is being charged as an adult.
According to a criminal complaint, police responded to North Division High School on Sept. 11 after a student, identified as Walker, brought a gun to school. A teacher confiscated the firearm, a Lifecard .22 caliber WMR pistol, prior to police arrival.
The complaint described the firearm as "a highly concealable breech-loading single-shot firearm that when fully folded and stowed is approximately the size of small men’s wallet." Trail Blazer Firearms describes it as a pistol "no bigger than a stack of credit cards."
The gun was not loaded and no ammunition was recovered.
A teacher told police that Walker was playing with the "wallet-sized item by flipping it open and closed" in class. When asked what he had, Walker responded "an attachment." The teacher asked for the item and Walker handed it over. The teacher saw a trigger and believed it was a firearm.
When police informed Walker he was going to be arrested, the complaint says he stated "he didn't know that he did anything wrong because the firearm was not loaded."
While in police custody, Walker asked the officer "if they went to his house and there was no unspent cartridges, would he still be in trouble?" Police advised Walker, according to the complaint, to wait until he was provided with Miranda warnings to make any statements. An officer later attempted to interview Walker but stopped "after becoming concerned [Walker] did not understand his rights."
If convicted, Walker faces a maximum of 3.5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He will have his initial appearance in court on Oct. 16
Milwaukee Public Schools provided the following statement after the incident:
"Milwaukee Public Schools reported an incident to the Milwaukee Police Department after a safety concern was reported at North Division High School on Monday, September 11. Safety is our number one priority. Whenever an incident occurs in or near a school that could impact the well-being of students or staff, protocols are in place to keep everyone safe. The district follows its code of conduct to address consequences for anyone determined to violate the safety of the learning environment."
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