NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A 15-year-old boy in North Tonawanda has been arrested and criminally charged after police found a loaded handgun hidden in the ceiling of his bedroom after he threatened to shoot other kids.
Tuesday, staff members at the North Tonawanda Youth and Recreation Center reached out to police after they heard a 15-year-old boy had been threatening other kids at the center.
"There was a threat made by a juvenile to shoot 2-3 other juveniles he was fighting with," Police Chief Keith Glass said.
Police say that the 15-year-old boy was at his parents’ house when the threats were made, not the Youth and Recreation Center.
Glass told me officers went to the boy’s house, and upon arrival, his parents cooperated with investigators, allowing them to search the house and the boy’s bedroom.
Glass says officers found a loaded handgun hidden in the ceiling of the boy’s bedroom.
He was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm.
WATCH: ‘Loaded handgun found’: North Tonawanda 15-year-old arrested after shooting threat
Q: "How does a 15-year-old get a gun?"
Glass: "That’s a good question. We don’t know exactly where this gun came from right now, but it’s something the detectives are trying to figure out."
The 15-year-old was released back into the custody of his parents on a court appearance ticket.
Glass says this was an "isolated incident," and there is no safety concern to the public or the Youth and Recreation Center.
