Two students charged with bringing guns to school — one of which was an AR-15

Two teenagers have been charged with bringing guns onto Atrisco Heritage Academy High School grounds Friday — one of which was a short-barreled AR-15 rifle, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities found the guns in the cars of two students after a fight broke out on the southwest-area campus, BCSO said in a Tuesday news release, and after an Albuquerque Public Schools police officer noticed they were especially agitated after the fight, which some of their friends were involved in.

After being questioned by police, both students admitted that they had guns in their cars, prompting deputies to search the cars and find the guns.

Both students — each 16 years old — were taken into custody, and have been charged with unlawfully carrying a deadly weapon on school grounds, which is a felony, the sheriff’s office said. Neither of the students’ names have been released.

“Bringing a firearm to school is unacceptable. It endangers the lives of our students and staff and creates a major disruption of the education environment that is so critical to the success of every student at our school,” Principal Irene Cisneros wrote in a letter to parents obtained by the Journal last week.

One of the guns, the sheriff’s office said, was the AR-15, which was apparently hidden under a black jacket. Along with the rifle, deputies also found a magazine and 21 assorted rifle rounds.

In the other car, deputies found a black and pink Taurus handgun, along with a magazine and three bullets.

The students will face expulsion hearings, district spokesman Martin Salazar said Friday. The two guns, he added, were the first to be found on APS campuses so far this school year.