Gun Found at Middle School in Maricopa

MARICOPA - Desert Winds Middle School was put on lockdown Wednesday as police searched for a handgun on campus.

A loaded gun was located and an 8th grade male student was taken into custody by Maricopa Police.

Police say Wednesday morning, the boy shot the gun into the air, shot into the ground, and then put the gun in his backpack at his bus stop.

At 9:08 a.m., residents in the Homestead development in Maricopa reported hearing gunshots. Police arrived two minutes later to an empty street -- the school bus had apparently just left.

At 9:30 a.m., police got a call from Desert Winds Middle School after some students told teachers an 8th grader brought a gun to school.

The 13-year-old is facing some serious charges: bringing a deadly weapon to school and endangerment.

One student received a scratch on his leg, either from shrapnel or a rock, when the gun was fired into the ground at the bus stop.

The lockdown has since been lifted and operations are returning to normal.