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Knox Co. teen charged with bringing a rifle onto school campus during football game

Officers said they received a tip the suspect "wasn't in his right mind" and was on his way to Christian Academy of Knoxville to confront a former teacher.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville Police Department officers arrested a Knox County teen after receiving a tip he was armed with a rifle on a high school campus Friday night, according to an arrest report.

According to the arrest report, officers received a tip on Friday that an armed 18-year-old, identified as Aidan Eldridge, "wasn't in his right mind" and was on his way to Christian Academy of Knoxville to confront a former teacher he had problems with.

The responding officer found the teen's vehicle in the parking lot of the high school with an "assault rifle" in the front floorboard, per the arrest report. The officer took Eldridge into custody in the football stadium around 8:30 p.m. during a game between CAK and George Walton Academy.

Officers said Eldridge admitted to driving to the campus, and it was determined the rifle's magazine contained 29 rounds of 7.62 ammunition. Authorities said it was a Century Arms VSKA rifle, designed to look similar to an AK-47 rifle.

Officers said Eldridge was also driving on a suspended license.

Eldridge is scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 27. He is charged with carrying a weapon on school property and driving on a suspended license. 

He is also charged with simple possession of a controlled substance and possession of a handgun while under the influence from a different incident that occurred around 1:30 a.m. at the Knoxville Expo Center on Aug. 15.

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