PHOENIX — An East Valley high school student was arrested Thursday afternoon after he allegedly brought a gun to campus, authorities said.

The Mesa Police Department said the student faces several felony charges from the incident at Red Mountain High School, on Brown Road east of Power Road.

Police said they received a call from school staff around 2:50 p.m. about a student seen on campus with a gun in his backpack.

School staff tried to walk the student to the office, but he fled on foot into a desert area near Red Mountain Park, across the street from campus, police said.

The high school went into lockdown as a precaution.

Responding officers located the student near the park and took him into custody around 3:20 p.m. A gun matching the description of the weapon seen on campus was found nearby, police said.

The school lockdown was also lifted once it was determined there was no threat.

Investigators determined that the student never removed the gun from his backpack on campus, didn’t threaten anyone with the weapon and didn’t have any plans to use it.

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