Police investigate Casa Grande school threats; 8th grader found with fake gun

Schools threats in Casa Grande: 1 student posted threat online, another had fake handgun

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. - On the same day that police were investigating an alleged social media threat at a Casa Grande school, a student at the same school was found with a fake handgun.

Casa Grande Police say both incidents happened on Jan. 25, when officers responded to Cactus Middle School after staff reported that a social media post depicting a rifle and handguns with a threatening message made towards another school, McCartney Ranch Elementary School, was being shared on campus.

Investigators learned the post was allegedly created by an 11-year-old sixth-grade Cactus Middle School student "to convince her friend's parents to allow her friend to skip school for the day."

"The 11-year-old created this post by taking a stock image from the internet and adding a threatening message to it," police said.

Police say any administrative actions towards the student will be up to the school district. A felony charge of disruption of an educational institution will be submitted to the Pinal County Attorney's Office.

As police remained on campus, Cactus Middle School staff advised officers that a 13-year-old eighth-grader was found with a fake handgun.

Investigators say the student bought the fake gun from a convenience store and brought it to the school to show to a friend.

"He carried it around in the front pocket of his hoodie and pulled it out in the bathroom to show others," police said. "Another student in the bathroom reported this to school staff immediately."

Similar to the first incident, police say any administrative actions toward the student will be left to the school district.

A misdemeanor charge of disruption of an educational institution will be submitted to the Pinal County Attorney's Office.

The two incident comes less than a week after a Casa Grande Union High School student was found with a gun and ammunition inside his backpack.