KELLER, Texas — A Keller student was taken into custody after he ran away from police following a security screening and later tossed a firearm while officers chased him.
The incident happened around 8:20 a.m. at the Keller Independent School District's Compass Center, which is near Keller Parkway and North Main Street.
Keller police said officers responded to a report that a student fled the campus after an employee found "what they believed was a firearm" in the student's backpack during a security screening.
Patrol officers arrived within one minute, police said, and found the student and took him into custody. The officers later found a gun, "which had been tossed during the brief foot chase," police said.
Police credited the school employee for screening the student's backpack.
"Please join us in thanking this incredible Keller ISD employee for their diligence," a police statement said. "This morning's incident is a testament to the district's safety and security protocols."
Keller school officials said the gun was caught by a metal detector and "briefly seen by an employee," before the student ran away.
"We have been informed by Keller PD that their investigation is ongoing, and we have communicated this situation to campus families with a reminder that weapons or any items resembling weapons have no place within the educational environment," the district statement said.
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