Two Garland students arrested after social media photo of gun triggers school safety hold

Garland Police arrested two high school students on Wednesday after a photograph of a student holding a firearm circulated on social media, prompting a temporary safety hold at Garland High School. The incident began around 9:45 a.m. when School Resource Officers learned of the image and began an investigation to locate the subjects.

Officers took the first student into custody and charged him with the exhibition, use, or threat of exhibition or use of a firearm. Investigators also found a marijuana vape pen in his possession, resulting in a second charge for possessing less than one gram of THC.

The investigation identified a second student involved in the photograph. Police detained that individual and charged them with the same firearm exhibition offense. The identities of both students have not been released, and officers did not confirm whether they recovered the gun seen in the picture.

During the police investigation, Garland High School placed the campus on a safety hold. Classroom functions continued as usual, but students were restricted from moving freely through hallways for a period of time.

Garland Police and Garland ISD stated that they take incidents involving firearms seriously and prioritize the safety of students and staff. The department said this type of behavior will not be tolerated.