TEMPE, Ariz. — A 15-year-old student was arrested by Tempe police Tuesday morning for allegedly bringing a firearm onto the Marcos de Niza High School campus.
Police officials were notified Monday about a social media video depicting a student with a gun inside one the school's bathrooms.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Un estudiante de 15 años fue arrestado por la policía de Tempe por presuntamente llevar un arma a la escuela
The following day, police and administrators were contacted by a concerned adult about a student who posted a video showing a gun inside a school bathroom. Officials identified the student and confronted them as the student arrived to school on Tuesday.
Police said the student ran from campus and into a nearby neighborhood. The high school and two nearby elementary schools were briefly placed on lockdown as police looked for the student.
Tempe police located the student hiding in a backyard, where they additionally reported finding a black gun resembling the firearm depicted in the video. The student was taken into custody.
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.