17-year-old arrested with loaded gun in Brooklyn charter school
WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) -- The NYPD says a 17-year-old was arrested after bringing a loaded firearm to a charter school in Brooklyn Wednesday.
It happened at Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn on Driggs Avenue in Williamsburg.
Police say a ninth grader saw the gun in a backpack of a 10th grader and notified a faculty member.
"They were saying, 'It's a lock down, it's a lockdown,'" ninth grader Nyomi Baez said. "It was the speaker on the speakerphone. And then a dean came in the classroom, and she was telling us it was serious."
Students say the principal came to a third floor classroom to retrieve the bag with the gun, and that there was a brief struggle over it.
"He went to use the bathroom, and the principal came," another student said. "She took the bag, and then all I seen was that they were tug of warring over the bag in the hallway. And our school had to get a hard lockdown because there was a gun in the bag."
Police responded and took the student into custody, and charges are pending, but some students say the student had been bringing the gun to school for months.
Students say there are no metal detectors at the school, but after today, many say they would like to see some.
The school did not comment on the incident.
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
