'Toy' gun briefly prompts lockdown at Nampa High School

Two students, ages 15 and 17, were suspended Thursday after they reportedly brought a realistic-looking plastic pellet gun to school, Nampa School District spokeswoman Allison Westfall said.

It was the second day in a row a Nampa High student got in trouble for having a gun, but Thursday's report involved a real, unloaded handgun and resulted in the arrest of a 17-year-old. He also was suspended from school.

Thursday's incident is apparently unrelated, Westfall said. The "toy" gun, which wasn't loaded with its plastic pellets, was found in a backpack, and the school was put in a "soft lock down" for about 15 minutes while the students were located and removed, she said.

The students told authorities they brought the gun because they felt unsafe walking in the community after leaving school grounds, Westfall said.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 8:05 PM with the headline "'Toy' gun briefly prompts lockdown at Nampa High School."