What to Know
- A New York City teen was arrested for threatening a shooting at his school, police say; he allegedly tried to buy guns repeatedly online
- News of the arrest comes as the nation debates how to best protect the nation's students and educators
- Second Amendment advocates want to arm teachers and fortify schools, while gun control supporters seek legislation addressing gun violence
A teen who threatened a shooting at his Bronx school was arrested after he repeatedly tried to purchase guns online, police said Thursday as officials unveiled new plans to keep kids safe in the city's hundreds of schools.
The 15-year-old faces a felony charge of making terroristic threats for a social media message be posted back on Dec. 12, according to police. In the post, he allegedly said he was bullied and wanted to buy a gun and kill classmates.
The NYPD arrested him Wednesday night after the department’s Computer Crimes Unit was tipped off to the threat.
The teen tried multiple times to purchase a gun online and was in possession of a bulletproof vest, police said.
The NYPD didn't immediately say which school the teen was attending.
The arrest comes amid a renewed debate about how to keep students and educators across the country safe a week after a shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, killed 17 people.
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In the wake of the shooting, students have joined gun control supporters and Second Amendment advocates in debating the best way to secure the nation's schools. Some students have planned marches and staged walkouts under the hashtag #NeverAgain.
President Trump said Thursda that making schools safer would be a top priority for his administration. He said he wants to "harden" schools and floated the idea of arming teachers as a possible deterrent.
Several organizations representing teachers came out against that idea, including the New Jersey Education Association, which said in a statement that it is "adamantly opposed to the idea of arming educators." It said doing so would turn schools into "armed fortresses of fear."
The union United Federation of Teachers said in a statement: "Teachers should be marking papers, not being trained in marksmanship."
In a letter to parents Thursday, Carmen Fariña, the chancellor of New York City's Education Department, said her agency was working with the NYPD to keep students and staff safe. She said schools are taking part in safety drills and that principals are reviewing the safety protocol for their buildings.
Fariña echoed Mayor Bill de Blasio in encouraging students to speak up if they fear someone may be harmful in their school.
De Blasio on Thursday called for random screenings and ordered emergency drills at all city schools within the next 30 days. He said the new steps will mean more students will encounter metal detectors when heading to class.
"Every school will have [a magnetometer] sometimes. That is an important deterrent," de Blasio said. But he added that many parents and educators feel the presence of the scanners makes for a negative environment and that the devices wouldn't be in place at every school, every day. Last year, 88 out of 1,300 school buildings had scanners.
Speaking at a gathering of conservatives Thursday, National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre said there must be "effective trained armed security that will absolutely protect every innocent child in this country."
LaPierre accused supporters of gun control of exploiting the mass shooting in Florida to promote an anti-gun agenda. He called out several tri-state Democrats, including de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as promoting a "terrifying" agenda of "absolute control in every corner of our government."
Meanwhile, the governors of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island announced Thursday they were forming a "States for Gun Safety" coalition to combat gun violence. The interstate initiative focuses on sharing law enforcement intel and working on gun safety legislation.
