A 15-year-old student was arrested for bringing an AR-15 rifle and ammunition to Bostrom High School in Phoenix, Arizona. This incident has once again highlighted the ongoing debate on gun control and the need for restrictions on the sale and possession of semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15.
School officials were alerted by others on campus and the police were immediately contacted, leading to a lockdown. The report was found to be accurate and the police confiscated the weapon and found additional ammunition in the student’s backpack and lunch box. Consequently, the student is facing serious felony charges, including minor in possession of a firearm and carrying a weapon on school grounds.
The student is currently in custody, and an investigation is underway by the police department’s crime gun intelligence unit, along with school and district officials.
Arizona does not ban semi-automatic rifles, but it prohibits minors from possessing firearms without parental consent and bans firearms on school grounds. The proliferation of semi-automatic rifles and their ability to cause significant harm has raised concerns and prompted discussions about implementing bans at the state and national levels.
Recently, another shooting in New Mexico where an 18-year-old used an AR-15 to fatally shoot three elderly women has sparked renewed calls for restrictions on the sale and possession of semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15.
