BOARDMAN, Ohio - Township police have arrested a Boardman High School student who witnesses say brought a gun on a school bus.

A student called 911 Wednesday afternoon after she allegedly saw the 17-year-old showing his girlfriend a handgun on bus number 14.

When the girlfriend asked the teen why he brought the gun on the bus, he allegedly responded, “I'll shoot up the bus.”

By the time police were notified all the students had gotten off the bus.

Police talked to the girlfriend who admitted that the teen had the gun in his backpack on the bus.

Officers tracked the teen down to the library at Market Street and Midlothian Boulevard in Youngstown.

He denied having a gun on the bus but said his backpack was at his guardian's West Boulevard Apartment.

The guardian brought the backpack to police at the apartment door and inside they found black and silver Denali Cobra 380 pistol. Police say the serial number on the gun had been obliterated.

Police did not find ammunition in the backpack.

The teen was handcuffed and taken to the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center on charges of illegal possession of a deadly weapon in a school safety zone and possession of a defaced firearm.

Parents tell 21 News that they were informed of the incident through a robocall from the schools.

Boardman schools issued a statement saying the gun was not loaded an "inoperable."

According to the statement, a suspension and expulsion from Boardman Schools are pending for the teen.

"This situation is very unfortunate, but what I'm encouraged by is we teach kids when they see something, say something," said Superintendent Tim Saxton. "Safety is about many things, but most importantly depends on people. I applaud our students of Boardman High School for their courage to speak up and report and ensuring the safety of students and staff at Boardman."