THATCHER — A Thatcher High School student is in custody after reportedly bringing a firearm to school Wednesday.
A fellow student notified the Thatcher Police school resource officer, who then located and isolated the student. The student did not have possession of a weapon at the time of contact with the officer; however, officers did locate the student’s backpack in a school restroom, and inside the backpack was a gun.
“No other students were found to be at risk other than the reporting party, thanks to the speed and response of the SRO and other Thatcher Officers,” Thatcher Police Chief Glen Orr said in a prepared release.
Identity of the student has not been released. He was taken into custody without incident.
After the student was taken into custody, Thatcher Unified School District Superintendent Matthew Peterson and Thatcher High School Principal Ryan Conrad issued a joint statement alerting parents to the situation.
“Thatcher High School and the Thatcher Unified School District would like to thank the Thatcher Police Department for their quick response with this incident. We remain committed to keeping our students, faculty and staff safe on our campus and in our district,” they wrote.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 10:27 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, with comments from Thatcher Police and Thatcher school officials.
