Updated: Air gun report puts Maricopa High School into lockdown
Early this afternoon, Maricopa High School Administration received information concerning a student in possession of a weapon. Administration immediately effected a lockdown and notified the Maricopa Police Department of the incident.
During the investigation, a 16 year-old male student was found to be in possession of a plastic toy “air soft” gun which actually shoots small plastic pellets. The toy had been modified and colored to look more like a real hand gun. The student was subsequently removed from class, and the entire incident took approximately 10 minutes from notification until the student was apprehended.
Maricopa High School’s Student Handbook specifically addresses the issue of Weapons Other than Guns or Knives, and that policy states that the instrument or object can be real or simulated. Possession of weapon real or simulated carries a range of disciplinary actions from suspension to expulsion.
The student was arrested and transported to the Pinal County Juvenile Detention facility where he was booked on a felony charge of disrupting an educational institution
“The safety and the protection of all of our students is a District priority,” said MUSD Spokesman Tom Beckett. “Violations of policies aimed at intimidation or the harm of students will be treated seriously.”
The District is commending the MHS Administration and Maricopa Police Department for their quick response to the situation
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