Investigation exposes major gun problem in Arizona schools, so why does no one seem worried?

The investigation found that since January 2019, at least 114 guns have been seized on campuses.

PUBLISHED OCT 4, 2024

Arizona is one of a few states that does not actively track the number of guns found in schools, despite federal regulations.

Phoenix, Arizona: An in-depth investigation by the 12 News I-Team has brought to light a terrifying fact: the increasing number of firearms being found on Arizona campuses. As law enforcement deals with a wave of school threats, the investigation, entitled 'Close Calls', uncovered gaps in the tracking of firearms in schools.

One of the most alarming cases occurred in 2023 at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, where a student was reported to have a firearm on campus. The school immediately went into lockdown, and after a frantic search by police officers, security teams, and administrators, the student was found off-campus.

The investigation found that since January 2019, at least 114 guns have been seized on campuses across the 20 largest school districts in Maricopa County. Mesa Public Schools, the state’s largest district, reported 12 firearm seizures, with half of those occurring in just the past school year.

Sergeant Rob Shear of the Phoenix Police Department said these threats are being treated with — Mesa Public Schools, the state’s largest district, reported 12 firearm seizures.

In response, the district has implemented a weapons detection system to prevent future incidents. In fact, within just 20 minutes of launching the system at Mesa High School, a student was caught with a gun.

In the West Valley, the Tolleson Union High School District reported finding 15 guns on its campuses since 2019, and the Phoenix Union High School District reported a staggering 44 guns seized during the same period.

Arizona is one of a few states that does not actively track the number of guns found in schools, despite federal regulations under the 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act. While schools are required to report weapons incidents to the state, Arizona’s Department of Education only sends out an optional survey, leaving significant gaps in the data.

The investigation found that many districts either did not respond to the survey or provided data that did not match what they directly reported to 12 News.

Some students and parents feel that the presence of armed officers contributes to a climate of fear and intimidation. — In the 2022-2023 school year, across the US more than 1,150 guns were seized on K-12 school campuses

Tom Horne, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, acknowledged the high numbers but downplayed the risk of mass shootings. "None of them have led to a mass shooting, but some did lead to violence," Horne told 12 News, emphasizing the need for schools to enforce the law and report firearms incidents to authorities.

In the 2022-2023 school year, across the US more than 1,150 guns were seized on K-12 school campuses before being fired. This is an average of more than six guns seized per day.

The number of guns seized on US school campuses has increased significantly since the 2018-2019 school year. In the 47 districts that provided the Washington Post with full data, the number of guns found increased by 79%. In some communities, the number of guns found more than doubled.

In the 2022-2023 school year, 1.1 million students, or 1 in 47 school-age children, attended a school where at least one gun was found