MOULTRIE – Deputies arrested a Colquitt County High School student Friday after officials reportedly discovered a gun in his backpack.

Tellis Ramaine Jackson, 18, was charged with carrying a weapon within a school safety zone by the Colquitt County Sheriff’s office, reports the Moultrie Observer.

The teen reportedly told police he purchased the .32 caliber pistol on the street and needed it for protection.

A teacher reportedly found the firearm in Jackson’s backpack and alerted school administrators and school resource officers. Jackson was removed from class and searched shortly after noon.