Mountainside Middle School in Scottsdale locked down after loaded handgun discovered

Mountainside Middle School in Scottsdale was locked down after a loaded handgun was discovered on campus Thursday afternoon, according to police. The lockdown was lifted at about 3 p.m. — after roughly three hours of sheltering in place.

The incident began about noon when a school faculty member was made aware of an apparent gun on the floor in a classroom. The school resource officer on campus confirmed it was a loaded handgun.

After a three-hour lockdown and a search of the school, police said they gave the all-clear and students were released from campus without issue.

The Scottsdale Police Department announced Thursday evening that officers will conduct additional patrols in and around the school to provide an increased presence and ensure a safe learning environment for all students.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Scottsdale Police Department said the lockdown was a precautionary measure.

Authorities asked parents not to come to school and initially announced that a reunification process was planned. The Scottsdale Police Department later said there would be no reunification plan and that students would be released as normal, with a delay.

Scottsdale police confirmed that fire crews responded to the middle school for an "unrelated medical issue."

This is a developing story; return to azcentral for updates.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Scottsdale school locked down after loaded handgun found