BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Buffalo Public School student is facing a felony charge for bringing an unloaded handgun into school.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office said that the 17-year-old male from Buffalo was arraigned Thursday before Youth Part Judge Brenda Freedman on one count of criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds and one count of criminal possession of a firearm.
The teen is accused of bringing an unloaded 9mm handgun into BPS PS 197 Math Science Technology Preparatory. The weapon was allegedly recovered during a search of their bag by a school security guard.
According to the DA, the adolescent offender is accused of committing the crime while released in connection with a separate case that is pending in the Youth Part of Superior Court.
The DA said on March 18, Buffalo police executed a search warrant at the adolescent offender’s residence on South Domedion Street and allegedly recovered:
- A quantity of suspected methamphetamine
- A quantity of suspected cocaine
- A quantity of suspected fentanyl
- Packing material and a digital scale
In addition, upon arriving at the scene, investigators allegedly observed the teen throw what appeared to be a firearm out of a window of the residence. Police allegedly recovered a loaded, illegal pistol equipped with a large capacity feeding device.
The DA said the adolescent offender was arraigned before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan, a designated Youth Part judge, on:
- One count of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- One count of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- One count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
- One count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon
- One count of criminal possession of a firearm
- Two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia
The DA said the prosecutor requested that the adolescent offender be remanded. He was released on his own recognizance.
He is scheduled to return for a felony hearing before Judge Freedman on April 7 and was remanded to the custody of the Erie County Youth Services Center.
