LEWISTON — Lewiston High School Principal Jake Langlais issued a statement to parents Monday afternoon that police took possession of a firearm that appears to have been discarded and found near school property.

The gun was “rusted, unusable and without any ammunition when found,” Langlais said.

Police searched the area and found nothing else connected with the gun. The discovery was not considered a threat to students, Langlais said.

The gun was found when a science class went outside to look at and study erosion caused by streams behind the tennis courts.

“Someone saw it,” Langlais said, adding that no one touched the weapon. Initially it wasn’t known “if it was a toy or the real thing,” Langlais said.

Students went inside. The school resource officer went outside, located the gun and contacted the Police Department which sent several officers to the scene.

Police searched the area “to make sure there was nothing else there,” Langlais said. Nothing else was found, no clip or ammunition.

“My guess is it was down there a while,” Langlais said. “Someone probably discarded it over the winter.”

The gun was found in a wooded area that is not used and is down over the hill by the stream.

Langlais sent out a robo message to parents through emails and text messages to ensure them there was no danger to students.

When all the facts aren’t available, Langlais said, “parents worry.”