A 16-year-old found with a gun in his backpack was arrested at a St. Paul high school Tuesday.

Officers responded to Central Senior High School just after noon when school security called to report they detained a student and found a handgun in his bag, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a police spokesman.

“Security officers explained that while interacting with the student he appeared to distance himself from his backpack as they spoke to him,” Ernster said. They investigated, found the gun and called for officers.

The teen was taken to the Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center and booked on suspicion of possession of a firearm by an ineligible person, with no serial number and on school property, Ernster said.

“No one was in immediate danger,” Principal Cherise Ayers wrote in a letter to families. “… There are serious consequences for students who bring weapons to school. … I can’t stress enough for all members of our Central community to say something if you see or hear any safety concerns.”

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