Tempe, AZ
A 15-year-old student from Marcos de Niza High School was arrested early this morning after bringing a firearm to campus. The incident unfolded at approximately 8:30 a.m. when Tempe Police took the student into custody after a brief pursuit.
The situation began the previous day when school administrators and campus resource officers (SROs) were made aware of a concerning social media video. The video showed a student holding a gun in a bathroom at Marcos de Niza. Initially, when police and school officials questioned a student linked to the video, he denied involvement and had no weapon on his person.
However, this morning, an additional tip from a concerned community member led school officials to take swift action. They received another report of a student who had posted a similar video with a gun at the school. By the time students arrived on campus, the school security team had already obtained the footage. Shortly after, the student believed to be involved was identified.
When confronted by an SRO, security, and administration, the student fled the campus, running into a nearby residential neighborhood. A lockdown was swiftly initiated at the high school at around 8:15 a.m., with neighboring Fees Middle School and Rover Elementary also briefly placed under lockdown for safety precautions.
Tempe Police quickly set up a perimeter around the area and located the student after he had jumped several fences and was hiding in a backyard. Officers discovered a black handgun, matching the one seen in the social media video, in the yard. The student was arrested without further incident.
The video that prompted the lockdown and arrest has not been confirmed as identical to the one shared with school officials the day before, though both incidents appear related.
Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy praised the efforts of both the community and school officials in preventing a potentially dangerous situation. “I thank the students who stepped up to report this disturbing video rather than reposting it on social media,” Chief McCoy said. “I also thank our school resource officers and our ACTION team for working together with school administrators to make a quick and successful arrest.”
Marcos de Niza High School resumed normal operations after the lockdown was lifted at 9:00 a.m. No injuries were reported. The student faces charges related to bringing a weapon to school, and the investigation remains ongoing.