Austin HS student charged with bringing gun to school, HISD says

Richard Duran, 18, was charged with carrying a weapon in a prohibited place after allegedly bringing a gun to Austin High School on Wednesday, April 25, 2019. Richard Duran, 18, was charged with carrying a weapon in a prohibited place after allegedly bringing a gun to Austin High School on Wednesday, April 25, 2019. Photo: Harris County Sheriff's Office Photo: Harris County Sheriff's Office Image 1 of / 45 Caption Close Austin HS student charged with bringing gun to school, HISD says 1 / 45 Back to Gallery

An Austin High School student is in hot water after allegedly bringing a pistol and drugs to school Wednesday.

Staff at the east side high school found the drugs and firearm inside 18-year-old Richard Duran's backpack, according to a Houston ISD statement to Chron.com. Staff members alerted officers with the Houston ISD Police Department, who quickly arrested Duran.

It is unclear what kind of drugs staff members allegedly found.

Duran is charged with carrying a weapon in a prohibited place, a third-degree felony punishable by a maximum 10-year prison sentence. No other charges appear to have been filed against Duran, including any related to the drugs allegedly found.

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"No students were harmed," the district said in a statement. "We take these situations very seriously, as the safety of our students and staff is always our absolute top priority."

Both the drugs and weapon were confiscated, HISD said in a statement.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message