Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Erie County District Attorney John Flynn is pointing the finger at security protocols at Bennett High School in the Buffalo School District after a 15-year-old student was arraigned on a felony weapons possession charge after bringing a loaded gun to school Thursday.
"I am not happy with the security at Bennett High School," emphasized Flynn when asked how the student was able to get the weapon inside the school after arriving late. Flynn said security protocol would require the student be 'wanded' upon entry and that did not occur, he said.
It is alleged that at approximately 11:00 a.m., police responded to Bennett High School on Main Street to investigate the report of a gun inside the school. The school issued a shelter-in-place as police conducted a search of the building. Buffalo Police officers allegedly found a loaded handgun inside of a backpack.
During a court appearance Friday morning, bail was set at $25 thousand and the youth is due back in court December 21.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office will file a motion to prevent the case against the accused from being adjudicated in Family Court due to the serious nature of the alleged crime.
Flynn said while there aren't shooting victims in this instance, all students, parents, families and staff involved are victims, in a sense, as they were exposed to the potential for danger and the chaos that resulted from the discovery f the weapon.
"I need to send a message," said Flynn. "I am not afraid to throw a kid in jail. I don't like doing it. I don't want to do it.
Will Keresztes, Chief of Intergovernmental Affairs, Planning, and Community Engagement with Buffalo School provided the following statement for WBEN: "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. The security guard responsible has been placed on administrative leave and the District's investigation is ongoing with the Buffalo Police."
