BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 15-year-old boy was arraigned Thursday evening after allegedly bringing a loaded handgun in his backpack to Bennett High School.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said the teen was arraigned on one Class C felony count of criminal possession of a weapon.
Buffalo Police say they responded to the Main Street school around 11 a.m. Thursday after receiving a tip. The school issued a shelter-in-place order, and once there, police allegedly found a loaded handgun inside a backpack.
"The gun was located in a backpack of another student, and retrieved, and held in a safe place," Flynn said during a news conference.
Flynn said the student had been allegedly showing off the gun to students at the high school "for two days in a row. He brought it not only today but yesterday as well," he said.
One student who allegedly saw it Thursday reported it to a school official.
"The other juvenile, whose backpack it was found in, says they didn't know it was a gun, that they knew that this person put something in their backpack," Flynn said, adding that he didn't expect charges against the second juvenile.
Flynn said the student who allegedly had the gun arrived to school late, meaning he should've been screened for weapons before being allowed into the building. That didn't happen, he says.
"We -- the parents of every kid at Bennett High School, the City of Buffalo, and me, the D.A. -- want to know why he was not wanded, and what happened there. If he was wanded, he would've never gotten in the school, in the first place, with a loaded gun," Flynn said.
Dr. Will Keresztes, the chief of intergovernmental affairs for Buffalo Public Schools, issued a statement after 2 On Your Side reached out to the school district for a response.
"While we are thankful that no one was harmed by the presence of a loaded gun in school, the breakdown in the wanding protocol is completely unacceptable," he said. "The security guard responsible has been placed on leave, and the district’s investigation is ongoing with the Buffalo Police.
"It is also essential that eliminating access to guns becomes our community’s top priority. Schools cannot solve this insidious challenge alone."
Flynn said he wanted to send a message, with threats against schools becoming much more commonplace in recent weeks.
The boy is being held at the Erie County Youth Service Center, and he is now scheduled to appear in court Friday morning. Citing the seriousness of the crime, Flynn said his office would file a motion to prevent the case from going through the family court system.
“I am thankful that no one was injured during this incident today. This teenager is accused of committing one of the most serious and concerning offenses: bringing a loaded handgun into his school. I am committed to keeping our schools safe," Flynn said.
"Any crime, or threat of a potential crime, at a school in Erie County will be thoroughly investigated by my office and our partners in law enforcement. My office will continue to file motions requesting that any case involving a juvenile found in possession of an illegal gun, especially on school grounds, remain in Youth Part to ensure that these teenage offenders are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."