HAMDEN, Conn. (AP) — A 17-year-old Hamden High School student was arrested after a loaded gun was found in his backpack, authorities said.
Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler told the New Haven Register that administrators received a tip Tuesday indicating that the student had a gun.
Security escorted the student to the principal’s office office and police were called at about 1 p.m., Detective Sean Dolan, a Hamden police spokesperson, said in a news release.
Goeler said the student became uncooperative and locked himself in a copier room.
Dolan said officers were able to deescalate the situation and take the student into custody. A loaded .45-caliber handgun was found in the student’s backpack, the police spokesperson said.
The student was arrested on charges of carrying a pistol without a permit, possession of a weapon on school grounds, reckless endangerment and breach of peace, police said. He was taken to a juvenile detention facility in Bridgeport.
It wasn’t clear if the student had an attorney who could comment.
Goeler said there was no evidence suggesting an ongoing threat to the school.
“Tomorrow we’ll have additional police presence at the school just to demonstrate to the community that the police are partnering with us to keep our students safe,” the superintendent said.
(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)