A 21-year-old Gary man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly brought a 40-mm Glock handgun to the West Side Leadership Academy on Tuesday afternoon because he wanted to “defend” a family member.

De’Andre Hicks was charged Wednesday in Lake Superior Court with possession of a firearm on school property, a Level 6 felony.

Around 3:30 p.m., a school security officer saw Hicks arguing with a student as school was being dismissed and the officer said she saw a gun in Hicks’ pocket as he threatened to harm the student, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The officer told the two males to stop arguing and called for assistance. Authorities said Hicks fled to his car, a tan sedan, where school security detained him and he was placed in a school security vehicle.

Gary police found

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