An unloaded gun was found on a Harlan High School student on Thursday, briefly putting the West Side campus on SECURE status. School staff and Northside ISD police quickly located the student and confiscated the firearm without incident. No threats were made and no one was hurt. The student now faces criminal prosecution and serious disciplinary action, and families were informed by Principal Richard Yzaguirre.
In a message to families, Yzaguirre said staff and NISD police “acted immediately” to track down the student after the tip came in, stressing that no threats were ever made against students or staff and that the episode is being treated as a major breach of school safety rules, according to News 4 San Antonio. Northside ISD told KSAT the student is expected to be arrested on a charge of “places weapons prohibited” and will also face “serious disciplinary consequences” at school. District officials said the unloaded gun was taken from the student without any confrontation.
What the law says
Bringing a firearm onto school grounds is not just a rule violation. Under Texas Penal Code Section 46.03, possessing a gun on school property is generally treated as a felony of the third degree, with only narrow defenses and exceptions spelled out in state law. Any criminal case is handled by prosecutors and the courts, while school discipline is a separate track managed by the district.
Similar finds in Northside ISD
This is not the first time a firearm has surfaced in or around Northside ISD campuses. In November, a student found a firearm at the edge of Harlan’s campus and turned it over to authorities, according to the Express-News. And in March 2025, a Brennan High School student was arrested after an unloaded weapon was discovered on campus, KSAT reported.
Northside ISD has not released the student’s name in the latest case, citing privacy rules for minors. The district said the matter is in the hands of school administrators and NISD police. Yzaguirre closed his message to families by thanking campus staff and the NISD Police Department for their quick response, as per News 4 San Antonio.
