Arlington PD: Students kept loaded gun at junior high school for several days

ARLINGTON, Texas - Police arrested two teenagers for bringing and keeping a loaded gun at their Arlington junior high school for several days.

Arlington PD released a picture of the loaded Glock 26 handgun that has been at Nichols Junior High for three days. Police say it handed off from a 15-year-old boy to his friend, a 13-year-old girl.

While some parents received a text message about the gun found on campus, other parents were shocked after they learned of the news from FOX 4.

Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson tweeted a photo of the gun, writing that it needs to be a reminder that they will not allow guns in their schools.

Police arrested and charged the two students with carrying a gun in a prohibited place. The boy was also charged with making a terroristic threat.

Arlington police say it came to light when a girl told her parents Tuesday night that a boy had shown her the gun in his waistband on Monday and made a threat.

The girl’s parents told her to report it first thing on Wednesday. The assistant principal went into the student’s class, had them leave, and then found the gun in a 13-year-old girl’s backpack. A spokesman for the police department said it is unclear how they got the gun.

“The story is it was kind of taken in a vehicle burglary. We don’t know for that to be a fact yet because it’s not showing to be stolen yet,” explained Arlington Police Lt. Chris Cook. “They said they stole it out of a car in Fort Worth. We’re working with Fort Worth PD to kind of validate that story or not.”

Police say it is very concerning that the gun was on campus for three days without anyone reporting it.

The school district’s spokeswoman says the district will take appropriate action to discipline the students.

The police chief says they are continuing to educate parents and kids about this problem.

Both students are in juvenile detention.