BATON ROUGE — A disabled student at Woodlawn High School was caught trying to bring a gun through school metal detectors by hiding it in the cushion of his wheelchair on Wednesday, East Baton Rouge Parish School District Superintendent LaMont Cole said.

The superintendent did not say if the gun was loaded and why he brought it to school.

Authorities detained the student after they received an anonymous tip that the student had a gun. Cole noted that there is no difference in the metal detector policy whether a student is abled or disabled.

Kevin Evans III, 17, was booked for illegal carrying of a firearm, carrying a firearm or dangerous weapon on school property and having a firearm in a firearm free zone. According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the gun, a Glock 17 9MM, had an extended magazine with approximately 23 rounds. EBRSO said the student stated that he had been threatened since being shot previously and no threats were made specific to this incident. 

The district is in the process of upgrading to artificial intelligence-powered detectors that can detect a weapon inside a cushion. These are commonly used in hospitals and airports. The district has invested more than $300,000 into the machines.