The handgun believed to have been used to shoot a 14-year-old Prescott, Ark., youth Monday was found near the front of Prescott High School.
Prescott Police Chief Joey Beavers said officers found a small-caliber handgun late Monday afternoon.
"It had been thrown into some bushes near the front of the high school. It was an extensive search to find it," he said.
Beavers said the state police have declined to identify the model of the weapon.
"The investigation continues and charges are pending. We figured out what happened. Now we're trying to figure out why it happened," Beavers said.
The gunshot victim was listed in stable condition at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. The gunshot missed a vital organ and he should have a full recovery, Bevaers said.
The gunshot victim was communicating on Facebook Monday.
"He had his picture on Facebook with his thumbs up," Beavers said "The social media was faster than our investigation."
A 14-year-old student allegedly shot the other student about 9:15 a.m. Monday in a hallway near the back of the school. The alleged shooter had an argument with the victim that started over the weekend, Beavers, said. Prescott is about 50 miles northeast of Texarkana.
The police chief said the alleged shooter was "peaceful" when he was arrested near the school soon after the shooting. He was arrested in his house.
School resource officers were able to contain the incident "in a matter of seconds," Beavers said.
The suspect said he "ditched" the pistol near the high school, according to police. The Prescott School District released a statement saying one student brought a concealed handgun onto campus and shot the other student. No other injuries were reported.
"It appears this was a premeditated attack specifically targeting the injured student," the school district said in the statement.