Metro Nashville police arrest students with loaded guns at two high schools Tuesday

Two high school students were arrested Tuesday in Nashville after officials at separate schools found the boys carrying loaded guns on campus.

The teenage suspects, whom Metro Nashville police say they don't believe are associated, were arrested exactly a week after two students were killed in a shooting at Marshall County High School in Benton, Ky.

Police reported that a 15-year-old ninth-grade Pearl-Cohn High School student was arrested after being found to possess a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol with eight rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber.

According to a statement from Metro Nashville Public Schools, staff at Pearl-Cohn "observed suspicious activity by one of its students on the football field," where a school resource officer subsequently found a loaded gun.

Police said the SRO then looked at footage from the school's surveillance system, which showed the boy concealing an item near the football stadium entrance.

Metro police said the officer found the teen walking around the school property, and the boy ran upon seeing the SRO. The 15-year-old was then taken into custody.

He told officials he bought the gun on the street and was carrying it for protection.

17-year-old stopped by administrator, confesses to carrying loaded gun

A 17-year-old 10th-grade student at Stratford High School was also arrested for carrying a loaded gun Tuesday.

According to police, the student was stopped after being seen leaving campus and returning around 10 a.m.

Administrators asked whether he had any contraband, and he told them there was a gun in his bag. Inside, they found a semi-automatic 9 mm pistol. Nine rounds were in the magazine, though there wasn't a round in the gun's chamber.

That student said someone gave him the firearm, and that he was also carrying the weapon for protection.

Don Aaron, spokesman for Metro police, said the department didn't have reason to believe either of the teenagers had a plan to carry out shootings on campus.

MNPS said it would "provide whatever assistance is needed" in the investigations.

Both teenagers were taken to juvenile detention.

Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.