TAMPA, Fla. – A H.B. Plant High School student is facing gun charges after he was searched while waiting in his vehicle outside of the school during an unrelated lockdown.

Tampa Police received a “vague threat” by phone Wednesday morning and placed the Hillsborough County school on a “modified lockdown” to assess the situation, Fox 13 reports.

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Students where shut into classrooms and police combed the campus.

“Part of those protocols is to look through any of the open spaces on campus,” district spokeswoman Tanya Arja told the news site. “They walked the parking lot as well.”

During their search, officers came across 18-year-old student Stratton Patterson – who does not have a first period – sitting in his vehicle outside of the police barricade waiting to get to class. Police searched Patterson’s vehicle and allegedly recovered a shotgun, ammunition and a hunting knife.

Police acknowledged Patterson is an avid hunter and not involved in the earlier threat, but arrested him on two counts of possession of a firearm on school property, a zero tolerance offense, Fox 13 reports.

“He is, in fact, a hunter and it was an honest mistake. He simply forgot to remove the weapon after returning from a prior hunting excursion,” Patterson’s attorney, Barry Tarakas, said in a statement. “He is a great kid with no prior criminal history and is shocked to find himself in such a predicament.”

Several of Patterson’s classmates confirmed that he hunts often.

“He was a part of the hunting club,” student Alexia Solar said. “I don’t think he meant for any of that to happen. It’s just, there’s a policy of no guns at school, but he’s a good kid.”

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“He’s a good student, he has good grades, he’s probably planning on going to college and that’s going to look bad on his record. It was just the wrong timing,” she said.

Facebook photos also shows Patterson posing with a deer, a turkey and fish he’s harvested.

Police did not find any actual threats related to the morning call and lifted the lockdown before 11 a.m., WFLA reports.

The school called parents with an automated message about the incident, according to 10 News.

The school handbook states a violation of the zero-tolerance weapons policy could result in suspension, expulsion and/or criminal charges.

Fox 13 points out Patterson is facing the same charges as another Hillsborough County student, though the circumstances of their alleged crimes are vastly different.

Also Wednesday, Hillsborough County deputies arrested 18-year-old Jamarcus Simms on two counts of firearm possession on school property after students on his bus reportedly witnessed him loading a handgun on his lap on the way to Brandon Alternative school, WFTS reports.

Deputies stopped the bus, evacuated students and searched the vehicle. They recovered a ski mask, a 9mm handgun and a magazine loaded with 12 rounds. Officers later learned the weapon was stolen from Temple Terrace.

“The witness was texting to (a) relative that they saw the suspect loading a gun on his lap,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Cristal Nunez said, adding that the witness watched Simms stash the gun in a seat four rows behind the driver.

“It’s unclear whether Jamarcus Simms had intentions of bringing that into the school, or if he was hiding it on the bus for after school to grab it back from the hiding spot,” she said.

Simms was previously arrested for grand theft, burglary and drug possession, according to the news site.

Police are now trying to determine if Simms was involved in the Jan. 20 burglary from the apartment where the gun was stolen.