American teenager arrested for bringing gun to school, also had ammo in lunchbox

A high school student from Phoenix in the United States was arrested on Friday after allegedly bringing an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and ammunition concealed in a lunch box, CNN reported. Phoenix police said they responded to Bostrom High School in Maryvale just before 1 p.m., where they found the student with the rifle. Officers said they also found ammunition in the student’s backpack and lunch box.

The school was placed on lockdown ”as soon as school officials were made aware of the possible firearm on campus,” Phoenix Police Communications Director Donna Rossi said. BNC News. A school district spokesperson said the lockdown lasted just over an hour.

“We commend those who initially reported the possibility of a weapon on school property to adults on campus who immediately called police,” Phoenix police said in a statement.

The 15-year-old boy, who has not been identified as a minor, had been in custody since Saturday, police said in their statement. He was charged with two felonies by the Pinal County District Attorney’s Office, for possession of a firearm and interference with or disruption of an educational facility.

”As we shared on Friday, we received a report from a student that a possible firearm was on campus. Our staff immediately contacted local law enforcement, who arrived on the scene and confirmed the report was true. The Phoenix Police Department is investigating and we will cooperate fully with their investigation. As a precaution, we will be implementing additional security measures tomorrow.

As you know, the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority and a shared effort. We would like to thank those who reported the incident to a trusted adult, our staff, and the Phoenix Police Department who promptly arrived on campus. We recognize the seriousness of this situation and the fear and anxiety it causes 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 whether the reason for bringing him to school was known.

AR-15-style rifles have been identified as the weapons used in many recent mass shootings in the United States, including the mass shooting at a Texas mall earlier this month. Rifles are semi-automatic as they fire one bullet per trigger pull and automatically reload for another shot.