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Rochester teen sentenced for bringing loaded handgun inside Bennett High School

The 16-year-old was sentenced to five years of probation and was adjudicated as a youthful offender

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Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A Rochester teen was sentenced Friday afternoon for his role in bringing a loaded handgun to Bennett High School in Buffalo in December of 2021.

According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, the 16-year-old male - who was 15-years-old at the time of the incident and residing in Buffalo - was sentenced before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan, a designated Youth Part judge, to five years of probation. He was adjudicated as a youthful offender over the objection of prosecutors.


It was on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021 at approximately 11 a.m. EST, police responded to Bennett High School on Main Street in the City of Buffalo to investigate the report of a gun inside of the school. The school issued a shelter-in-place as police conducted a search of the building.

Upon their investigation, Buffalo Police officers found a loaded, illegal pistol inside of a backpack.

The juvenile offender ended up pleading guilty back in late October to one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class "C" violent felony).

Judge Eagan issued a final order of protection on behalf of the three witnesses who reported the incident.

"While I am thankful that no one was injured during this incident, this teenager committed one of the most concerning and serious offenses - bringing a loaded handgun into school. Anyone who commits or threatens to commit a crime at any school in Erie County will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Erie County District Attorney John Flynn in a statement.

The 16-year-old was sentenced to five years of probation and was adjudicated as a youthful offender