What to Know
- A 16-year-old brought a handgun into a Lower Manhattan High School Friday morning
- The teen was searched after his teacher sent him to the principal's office for a strong marijuana odor
- Charges are still pending for the student
A 16-year-old student who brought a gun to his Lower Manhattan school Friday morning has been arrested.
The teen walked into the Urban Assembly Maker Academy near Pearl Street and St. James Place with a .380 Taurus handgun in his backpack at around 8:30 a.m. The school does not have metal detectors, and it is one of four sharing the Murry Bergtraum Educational Campus.
His teacher thought he smelled like marijuana and alerted school safety officials, who took the student to the principal's office. Officials found the handgun while searching his backpack, police said.
"The NYPD swiftly responded and safely confiscated the weapon," the Department of Education said in a statement. "We are working in close partnership with the NYPD as they investigate this troubling incident."
The DOE added that all students and staff were safe, and the high school would be provided with ongoing support.
The teen has been arrested on a charge of criminal possession of a weapon.
