NYPD: 12-year-old found with gun at Williamsburg school faces weapons charges
No injuries were reported, and the weapon was safely recovered after other students alerted school staff.
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A 12-year-old boy has been arrested after bringing a gun into a Williamsburg middle school, the NYPD said on Monday.
The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. at Conselyea Preparatory School on North 5th Street, which shares a building with an elementary school. Police say the student brought an unloaded firearm into the school. No injuries were reported.
The boy was arrested and is now facing two charges: criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds.
Parents and students returned to campus Tuesday to find heightened security, including extra NYPD school safety agents stationed outside and students entering through metal detectors—a new measure at the school, according to families.
“No gun should be in school. And what’s scary is—how did this child even get this gun?” asked Ariana, a parent whose son attends the school. She added that her son was shocked by what happened, describing the situation as “fear… terror.”
The Department of Education says students who reported the weapon helped staff safely recover it. In a statement, the DOE said extra security and counselors are now on site, and additional support will be available in the coming days.
Some parents told News 12 they were frustrated by how the situation was communicated. Many received a letter from the school after the incident and felt it didn’t match the seriousness of what happened.
