Texas High School Student Found With Gun on First Day of Classes

A gun was reportedly found in a student’s backpack on the first day of classes at a Texas high school with the discovery being credited to a new security initiative.

WFAA reported the police were called to Horn high school in Mesquite, Texas on Monday after school administrators made the discovery. Officers arrived at the scene and confiscated the gun before taking the student into custody.

In a statement issued to parents, The Mesquite Independent School District said the student would face disciplinary action.

It was not immediately clear why the student brought the weapon to school.

Officials at Horn High School also said they were able to find the gun due in part to a new rule calling for students to use clear backpacks and bags. The juvenile's bag was not transparent.

“Clear backpacks are not a single solution to ensure campus safety; however, today’s incident shows they can be an important part of a multi-layered safety plan,” the letter read.

Each student from the Mesquite ISD can be provided with a free clear bag.

The incident comes after Texas has seen more school gun incidents than any other state, according to Forbes — notably the Ulvade shooting that killed over 20 people in 2022.