Imitation firearm found in student’s backpack at Fishers Junior High, police say

A 13-year-old Fishers Junior High student was arrested Tuesday after a school resource officer and school administrators found an imitation firearm in his backpack, the Fishers Police Department said.

The department’s School Resource Unit was made aware of the situation Tuesday, Aug. 25, after Fishers Junior High staff learned the student might have an imitation firearm at school, according to a release from FPD. The school’s SRO and administrative staff began an investigation and located the item in the student’s backpack. It was collected as evidence.

The student, whom police did not identify because of his age, is charged with possession of an imitation firearm on school property or on a school bus, a Class B misdemeanor. Any school discipline will be handled by Fishers Junior High, police said.

Police said the situation was resolved quickly and without incident.

“We appreciate our relationship with Hamilton Southeastern Schools,” the department said in its release. “HSE and FPD are committed to keeping our students, staff, and families safe. We are grateful that this situation was handled very quickly and without incident.”

A new state law, in its first school year

The charge stems from a law that is new to Indiana classrooms this fall.

House Enrolled Act 1343, signed into law as Public Law 94-2026, took effect July 1 and makes it a Class B misdemeanor to knowingly or intentionally possess an imitation firearm in or on school property or on a school bus. The 2026-27 school year, which began for HSE students on Aug. 5, is the first full school year the law has been in effect.

The term generally covers realistic-looking replicas that are not actual firearms — airsoft and BB or pellet guns, replica handguns and rifles, and toy guns designed to closely resemble the real thing. The law includes an exemption for an imitation firearm that is lawfully possessed and properly secured inside a locked vehicle.

For an adult, a Class B misdemeanor in Indiana carries a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Cases involving a 13-year-old, however, are generally handled through the juvenile system in Hamilton County rather than adult criminal court, where the matter would be treated as an act of delinquency and the adult sentencing range would not apply directly.

What police did not say

The FPD release did not describe what kind of imitation firearm was recovered, how staff first learned of it, or whether the student was accused of showing it to anyone or making any threat. No students or staff were reported hurt.

Parents and students who become aware of a safety concern at school are urged to tell a teacher, an administrator or a school resource officer.