The school was put under lockdown (Representational photo)
A Phoenix high school student was arrested Friday for allegedly bringing an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and ammunition in a lunch box. CNN informed of. Phoenix police officers said they responded to Bosom High School in Maryvale just before 1 p.m., where they found the student with a rifle. Authorities said they also found ammunition in the student’s backpack and lunch box.
The school was placed under lockdown “as soon as school officials received information of a possible gun on campus,” said Donna Rossi, director of communications for the Phoenix Police. nbc news, A spokesman for the school district said the lockdown lasted a little over an hour.
“We commend those who originally reported the possibility of a weapon on school grounds to adults on campus who immediately called police,” Phoenix police said in a statement.
The 15-year-old boy, who did not want to be identified because he is a minor, remained in police custody till Saturday, police said in a release. He was charged by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office with two felonies for possession of a firearm and interference with or disruption of an educational institution.
”As we shared on Friday, we received a report from a student that there was a possible firearm on campus. Our staff immediately contacted local law enforcement, who arrived at the scene and confirmed the reports were accurate. The Phoenix Police Department is investigating and we will cooperate fully with their investigation. Out of an abundance of caution, we will have additional security measures in place tomorrow.
As you know, the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority and a shared endeavor. We would like to thank those who reported the incident to a trusted adult, our employees, and the Phoenix Police Department, who quickly arrived on campus. We recognize the seriousness of this situation and the fear and anxiety it causes for our students and staff. We will have social-emotional support available at the school for students and staff who may need it,” Principal Michelle Gutierrez de Jimenez said in a statement.
Authorities did not say how the boy obtained the gun or his motive for bringing it to school.
AR-15-style rifles have been identified as the weapons used in several recent mass shootings in the US, including a mass shooting at a Texas mall earlier this month. Rifles are semi-automatic because they fire a single shot at each pull of the trigger and automatically reload for the second shot.