Concern over guns in NYC schools following incidents, shooting of teen leaving school
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A high school student is recovering Friday morning after being shot leaving a high school in Staten Island on Thursday.
It was one of three incidents involving guns in schools, also in the Bronx and Queens.
Two guns were recovered Thursday inside Flushing High School in Queens. The discoveries were made before 12:30 p.m.
Two teens, ages 17 and 15 were stopped when the weapons were found. Now, on Friday, portable scanners will greet students there as an added security measure.
The Department of Education released a statement saying, "The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority. We are grateful to our NYPD School Safety Agents who worked quickly to deescalate, recover both weapons, and ensure that our buildings are safe. The school followed all procedures, and we are working closely with NYPD regarding follow-up actions."
A gun, that was later determined to be an imitation plastic weapon, was also found at Lehman High School in the possession of a 16-year-old in the Bronx.
But, it was at 1 p.m. on Staten Island, when a shooting at a playground across the street from Ralph McKee Career and Technical Education High School injured a teenager.
A 17-year-old was shot in the left leg as he was leaving Curtis High School.
Police believe the shooting stemmed from a school-related dispute.
The boy is in stable condition, but the gunman remains on the run. He was said to be wearing a green sweatsuit.
In a statement, the Department of Education said:
"While this incident took place off campus, this is a highly concerning consequence of the proliferation of guns in our city. Our students deserve to be safe in their neighborhoods, and we are working closely with the school to ensure students have the resources they need, including support from external violence interruption organizations."
The shooting comes a day after a loaded gun was recovered inside a student's backpack at Curtis High School.
Police said a 17-year-old had a loaded 0.45 caliber firearm in his backpack on Wednesday.
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