Boy, 11, Accused Of Bringing Loaded Gun To School In Jamaica, Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) --A school scare had parents in Queens concerned on Wednesday.
An 11-year-old student stood accused of bringing a loaded gun to school.
The boy allegedly brought a 9mm pistol to P.S.40, at 109-20 Union Hall St. in Jamaica.
The assistant principal at the school had been notified that the boy had a loaded gun in his bag, according to the Queens District Attorney's office.
The boy told police the gun belonged to his grandfather – Kenneth V. Miley, 54, of Queens, prosecutors said.
The boy said further that he had gotten the gun from under his grandfather's bed and that he knows how to load and unload it, prosecutors said.
As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, it was unclear why the boy brought the gun to school.
"You drop your kids off at school in the morning. You go to work thinking they're in a safe place," said parent Khaleeda Khan.
"It terrifies me. I have my little girl that goes here," Kimberly Hopkins said.
Miley allegedly told police the firearm was indeed under his bed, and said he had found it and was going to walk into a police precinct and hand it over, prosecutors said. Police allegedly found two rounds of ammunition under a bed at Miley's home, prosecutors said.
The city Department of Education released a statement in response to the incident.
"This is incredibly disturbing and nothing is more important than the safety of all students and staff. School staff immediately notified NYPD and they swiftly responded. Families were notified yesterday and additional staff is available to the school community to provide ongoing support," DOE spokeswoman Toya Holness said in the statement. "We will continue to work closely with the police department as they investigate this alarming incident, and ensure that all students and staff feel safe."
On Wednesday, parents told CBS2's Carrasco that they weren't informed of the incident.
"Nobody said anything. I didn't receive a phone call," parent Hopkins said.
"I am going to go in there and find out why," another added.
Miley was to be arraigned late Thursday night in Queens Criminal Court on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child, and city administrative violations, prosecutors said. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
