A Santa Rita High School student was arrested Wednesday after Tucson police and school safety officers found a gun in his backpack.
The school received an anonymous tip that a student had a weapon in his backpack, said Karla Escamilla, a Tucson Unified School District spokeswoman in a Wednesday afternoon news release.
School staff questioned the student about the allegation and searched the backpack he was carrying, which belonged to somebody else, Escamilla said. Two other students were also called into the office for questioning and their belongings were also searched, but no weapons were found. The students said they did not know about the allegations.
TUSD School Safety officers implemented a soft lockdown of the campus, where students had to remain in their classrooms.
Tucson police and school safety officers searched the campus and found a backpack with a handgun and drug paraphernalia inside. Officers were able to confirm it belonged to the student initially questioned, Escamilla said.Β Β
Tucson police arrested the student and the district will follow all protocols including expulsion, Escamilla said. No students were injured and classes were not interrupted during the incident.Β
