by Steven Felschundneff | steven@claremont-courier.com

An El Roble Intermediate School student was arrested by Claremont police Friday for having a replica gun on campus.

After being called by school officials at 12:15 p.m., police arrested a 12-year-old Claremont boy for being in possession of an Airsoft gun on school grounds. The student was taken to the Claremont police station, cited, and released to the custody of a guardian.

Claremont police haven’t yet said if the boy has been charged with a crime.

A man who identified himself as the boy’s father told the COURIER on Monday that his son purchased the weapon from another El Roble student.

According to a Friday email from El Roble Principal Sean Delgado, the student had the toy gun in one of the classrooms.

“On Friday afternoon, just after the conclusion of lunch, administration was made aware by a staff member that a student may have a weapon, possibly a BB gun on campus.  Immediately, administration investigated, and a student was quickly found with an airsoft gun in one of the classrooms,” according to the email from Delgado.

The email went on to say that Claremont police were contacted and “the situation was handled immediately and without any disruption to student learning.”

Airsoft guns are toy replica weapons that shoot non-metallic projectiles and are used both in tactical military and law enforcement training as well as airsoft sports for civilians. The weapons are commonly sold with a red tip so they can be quickly identified as toys.