Loaded gun found in backpack at Burnsville High, student arrested

A loaded gun was found in a backpack Tuesday morning at Burnsville High School, leading police to arrest a student suspected of carrying the weapon onto campus.

The school called police around 10:40 a.m. and said they suspected two students of having guns, according to a police department news release. School officials told police they already had confirmed there was a gun in one of the students’ backpacks.

“Given the dangerous circumstances of the presence of weapons,” several other agencies responded along with the Burnsville officers, the department said. Police recovered the gun, which they said was loaded with live ammunition. A second gun was not found.

The two suspected students did not threaten anyone and no shots were fired, the department said. The student who had a gun was arrested, while the second was briefly detained before police found no gun on the student.

The case will now be referred to prosecutors for consideration of charges.

Principal Jesús Sandoval shared the news in a statement to Burnsville High families, adding that the gun was secured “as soon as possible.” He did not specify more about the incident or what led to the discovery, other than saying students brought it to the attention of the school.

“No threat has been made to the school, students or staff,” Sandoval said. “At this time, the school day is continuing as normal.”

In his email, Sandoval thanked the students who let staff know about the gun, and said the school is now working with police to investigate.

“As always, the safety of staff and students is our primary concern,” Sandoval said. “It is never acceptable to have a weapon at school, and we will follow our policies and procedures when it comes to student behavior. I’m thankful for the students who brought this to our attention and for the quick responses from staff and our partners in the police department.”