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Near 2nd Texas School, 'They Saw Something, Said Something'

Day after Uvalde mass shooting, police say they found gun in vehicle of high schooler in Richardson
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted May 26, 2022 7:36 AM CDT
Cops: Near 2nd Texas School, 'They Saw Something and Said Something'
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/ChiccoDodiFC)

A Texas high school student was arrested after police say they found a firearm in his car in a nearby parking lot, just one day after a school shooting six hours away in Uvalde that left 21 dead. Per a Facebook post by the Richardson Police Department, a call came in on Wednesday, shortly before 11am, of a man strolling toward Berkner High School with what seemed to be a rifle. Police officers were dispatched "within minutes," per the statement, and they were soon able to track down the suspect, a minor who attends the high school, inside the school.

Police say the student didn't have any weapons on him, but when they found his vehicle in a nearby parking lot, they say they spotted inside of it "what appeared to be an AK-47 style pistol and a replica AR-15 style Orbeez rifle," the latter of which fires gel-filled projectiles. Both the high school and a nearby elementary school were placed on lockdown until police gave the all-clear about an hour later, reports WFAA. The student was arrested and now faces a state jail felony charge of unlawful carrying of weapons in a weapon-free school zone, though no further details are being released due to his juvenile status, police say.

The high school's principal lauded the person who alerted authorities. "We appreciate the citizen who reported it," Kristy Cage said, adding the student would also face repercussions for violating the school's code of conduct, per CBS News. The student who reported it "saw something and said something, which is exactly what we want students, staff, and community to do when they see something that concerns them." (More Texas stories.)

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