An Indianola man has been charged with possession of a firearm on school property after allegedly taking a gun onto the campus of Mississippi Delta Community College on Monday.
Anthony Cadena, 18, turned himself in at the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Department on Monday afternoon after causing a stir on the Moorhead campus, where witnesses say he apparently had a gun tucked inside of one of his pants pockets.
No injuries were reported due to this incident.
“Let me be clear: this type of behavior has no place on our college campuses and will not be tolerated,” MDCC President Dr. Steven Jones said in a statement this week. “The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff and visitors remain our highest priority.”
A video that was taken on campus that day appeared to show Cadena with a female companion walking away from an area without incident.
Sunflower County Sheriff James Haywood said that a relative of the young lady, who has not been charged with a crime, contacted the couple as they were heading back to the female’s home in Isola and advised them that law enforcement was looking for them.
Haywood said they did as they had been advised by the relative and drove to the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Department and surrendered, again without incident.
The arresting agency on Cadena’s booking report is the Moorhead Police Department. He is being held on a $5,000 bond.
“We are deeply grateful to the many law enforcement agencies that responded swiftly and professionally to assist us during this incident,” MDCC’s Jones said. “I especially want to thank our Chief of Police, Charlie Dones, for his steady leadership, as well as the many faculty and staff members who acted quickly to ensure our lockdown procedures were carried out effectively.”
Jones said that the actions of the students who apparently first saw Cadena and his gun led to the quick response.
“I also want to recognize and commend our students who acted responsibly by immediately notifying faculty and staff when they saw something concerning,” he said. “We are proud of them for stepping up and for demonstrating the importance of “see something, say something.” Their quick action played a critical role in keeping our campus safe.”
