Two teenage brothers were charged Friday after loaded semiautomatic handguns were found in their backpacks following a fight Thursday at Cooper High School in New Hope, authorities said.
In a letter to families and staff Thursday, Principal Shaunece Smith said there was "a serious and troubling incident that occurred at our school." That morning, she said three students were in a fight and staff immediately isolated the students involved.
"During our investigation into the situation, administrators called New Hope Police to search the backpacks of two students. The police found firearms in each of the student's backpacks, which they immediately confiscated," Smith wrote in the letter.
She said school leaders and police agreed a building lockdown was not needed.
Police said in a news release that the students who brought the guns to school were arrested and booked at the juvenile detention center.
The teens were charged in Hennepin County Juvenile Court with two felony counts each: possessing a dangerous weapon on school property and a minor in possession of a firearm.
The Star Tribune generally does not name juveniles unless they are charged as adults.
According to the charges, one teen had a Glock 29 and the other had a 9-millimeter Stoeger STR-9C with an extended clip. Each gun had one round in its chamber.
