PHOENIX — A 15-year-old student could face several felony charges after he was arrested for allegedly bringing an AR-15-style rifle and ammunition to Bostrom High School last week.
While it’s only a misdemeanor to bring a gun to a school in Arizona, people can be charged with interference or disruption of an educational institution if classes are canceled or cut short due to a gun at school.
Anyone underage cannot have a gun and can be charged with being in possession of a firearm, a class 6 felony.
AR-15 found at Bostrom High School
Phoenix police officers, as well as two school security officers, were dispatched to the campus, located near 27th Avenue and Osborn Road, around 1 p.m. for reports of a student with a gun. The school was placed on lockdown.
When officers arrived, they detained the 15-year-old in the main office and seized possession of a semi-automatic rifle. Officers said they also found ammunition in the student’s backpack and lunch box.
No injuries were reported by police.
The student was taken into custody and is facing “serious felony charges.”
“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 Phoenix Union High School District said they’re working with police to investigate Friday’s incident. The student is being interviewed by detectives.
“We are grateful to those who reported this incident to trusted adults. We also thank our staff for working quickly to ensure everyone was safe, and the Phoenix Police Department for responding immediately,” the district wrote in a statement.
Guns at school
Last August, a 9-year-old student reportedly brought a loaded gun to Legacy Traditional School’s Queen Creek campus.
The child was charged with two felonies by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office, for possession of a firearm and interference with or disruption of an educational institution.
Queen Creek Police Department pressed for charges against the 4th graders’ parents, saying that they should face a charge of contributing to the delinquency of the minor, but PCAO ultimately decided not to pursue those charges because there was “no reasonable likelihood of conviction” against the parents.
The charges against the child have since been dismissed after the 9-year-old and their parents completed a gun safety class, PCAO told 12News Monday.
PCAO said for the child to get services and help through the juvenile justice system, like rehabilitation and correcting behavior, they must be charged to get the help.
The case against the 15-year-old Bostrom High School student is now in juvenile court. Depending on evidence and circumstances, it could stay there or be upgraded and charged as an adult.
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