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‘I’m afraid I’m not gonna let you leave’: Hernando Co. Student accused of holding classmates at knifepoint
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SPRING HILL, Fla. (WFLA) — A student was arrested Wednesday after deputies said he held two classmates at knifepoint while on campus. According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, Springstead High School students told a school resource deputy of a student with a knife in the boys’ bathroom at 8:03 a.m. The students said they entered the bathroom and encountered Erich Baugh, 19, crouching down in the corner with several personal items on the floor around him. While the students were standing at the sink, deputies said Baugh placed a mask over his face and then stated, “I’m afraid I’m not gonna let you leave.” Baugh then allegedly pulled a steak knife from the front pocket of his hoodie and displayed it. Deputies said during the incident, two additional students entered the bathroom, but were allowed to leave after being warned about the knife.” Those students immediately went to the front office to report the incident. A third student inside a bathroom stall was also allowed to leave. However, deputies said Baugh refused to allow the two remaining students to leave. The resource deputy responded, detained Baugh, and secured the knife. No injuries were reported. During questioning, deputies said Baugh told investigators that he did not personally know any of the victims and that issues he was experiencing both at home and at school led to his actions. Baugh also told investigators he initially planned to “take out the school guardian and then use the guardian’s gun to create more chaos in the school,” the sheriff’s office said. Baugh was arrested and charged with two counts of false imprisonment and one count of exhibiting a weapon on school grounds. He was taken to the Hernando County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.