ODESSA, Texas — An eighth-grade student at Nimitz Middle School was arrested Thursday for bringing a weapon to school, according to a press release from the Ector County Independent School District.
According to the press release, on May 16, on Thursday afternoon, Odessa Crime Stoppers received a tip about a Nimitz Middle School student who was in possession of a gun.
ECISD Police officers quickly found the student, searched her backpack and found a handgun.
According to the release, the student stated to officers that she brought the gun as protection for someone else.
The student was arrested for "Places Weapons Prohibited", a third-degree felony.
"We are thankful for this tip. The Odessa Crime Stoppers program has been part of ECISD for many years and has proven to be an effective tool in our effort to keep our schools and our community as safe as possible. It worked for us again today," ECISD said in a part of their press release. "This is a scary situation, and the school and the district will address it. We are asking for parents help, too. Please talk to your children about how dangerous - not to mention illegal - it is for them to have a weapon. Please check to see what they are putting into their backpacks or other bags. This is work we must do together to keep our kids safe."
NewsWest 9 will update this story once more information is provided.