An 8-year-old student was caught with a loaded handgun at Copper Basin Elementary School in San Tan Valley on Monday afternoon, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).
Deputies said the incident unfolded around 1 p.m., when a school employee saw the child displaying a 9mm handgun to friends on campus. Staff immediately intervened and secured the weapon.
Authorities confirmed the child never made any threats. Still, PCSO has opened an investigation in coordination with the Pinal County Attorney’s Office and the Arizona Department of Child Safety to determine how the gun was obtained and whether adults could face charges.
Copper Basin Elementary, a K-8 school within the Florence Unified School District, has not released a statement, and no further details have been provided about the student’s circumstances.
The case comes just a day after an unrelated incident in Kingman, where an 11-year-old was arrested for bringing a pellet gun, knife, and vape pen to school, raising broader concerns about weapons on Arizona campuses.
