Anne Arundel County students charged for bringing handguns to middle school

Two Anne Arundel County middle schoolers have been charged with bringing guns to class.

The weapons were discovered Tuesday afternoon at Marley Middle School.

It all started when school administrators were alerted of a student vaping in the classroom.

When staff checked the student's backpack, they found an unloaded 9mm handgun.

That student claimed the gun belonged to another student.

When officers went to speak with the second student, they too had an unloaded gun, but it was a replica Glock BB gun.

The school was temporarily placed on a hold status, where students shelter in their classrooms, with no one being allowed in or out of the building.

Police say there's no evidence suggesting either student displayed the gun to anyone.

Students were ultimately dismissed on time.

The school's principal sent a letter to parents and families, notifying them of the incident.

"In addition to any action that may be taken by police, please be assured that our school will take appropriate action against the students involved in today’s incident in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct," wrote principal Kimberly Winterbottom. "I want to applaud our students and staff for quickly moving into the precautionary safety status we employed today. It saved time and allowed us to address the issue at hand more quickly."