A 16 year old student from Dysart High School was arrested late yesterday by Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies for carrying a loaded weapon onto a school bus and campus and for allegedly making threats against a fellow student.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says his deputies were alerted to the situation near the end of the school day by school authorities who requested a welfare check on a 14 year old boy who was absent from school and may have been suicidal.
When deputies went to the boy’s home, in Youngtown, the boy’s mother told deputies her son was threatened at the school bus stop that morning by the 16 year old suspect who showed the victim a gun and said he was going to kill him.
Sheriff’s deputies then waited for the suspect to exit the afternoon school bus. They questioned the boy, searched his belongings and found a .25 caliber hand gun, loaded, in his possession.
The 16 year old admitted to taking the gun onto the bus and school. He was arrested and charged with four (4) felonies: Aggravated Assault, Possession of Firearm by prohibited persons, Misconduct Involving weapons, and Theft.
“This is the third recent incident where my deputies have investigated school violence. It is exactly why I am providing active shooter training for members of my school posse patrol program this weekend, and why I sent out the armed posse in the first place. We will continue to be vigilant in order to protect the schools”