OSWEGO, NY – At approximately 2:07 p.m. today (May 20), Oswego City Police responded to a firearms complaint on Mark Fitzgibbons Drive.
An Oswego City School District bus driver notified a school security officer at Oswego Middle School of a possible boy with a gun across the street from the building.
The security officer immediately notified 911.
Several Oswego City Police units responded immediately, including the School Resource Officer.
The suspect was located and taken into custody a short distance away from the middle school on Murray Street.
The suspect was identified as a 16-year-old boy and was found to be in possession of a paint ball gun.
Further investigation determined that the suspect had been walking to meet a friend for a game of paint ball and neither Oswego Middle School students nor faculty were ever in any danger.
However, as a safety precaution, school district officials placed the school in lock down.
While police aren’t releasing the full identity of the suspect due to his age, he has been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon on school grounds, a violation, and subsequently released on an appearance ticket returnable in Oswego City Court on June 17 at 9 a.m.
According to Police Chief Michael J. Dehm Jr. “I commend the school district employee who observed and immediately reported this incident, as well as the officers who were on scene within seconds of receiving the complaint, and took custody of the suspect within three minutes. This was a great example of the ongoing, joint effort between the Oswego Police and school district officials to ensure the safety of our schools and their surrounding community. While the suspect clearly used poor judgment in his choice of incident turned out to be non-threatening.â€
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Your article said ACROSS from the school. How can he be charged on school property. Think about it, a PAINTBALL gun, come on people wake up . Kids will be kids. There was no threat there at all. I’m glad people responded like they did but after it was discovered it was a PAINTBALL gun, let him go home scared to death.
Arrest in this state is getting out of hand for stupid things like this.
Yea something fishy with this article. Was he on school property or not?
Before you try defending this honor student, why is the first question in disbelief of the validity of the arrest and not, why was this 16 year old not in school at approximately 2:07pm?
Robbie
That’s $85.00 in the state coffers not to mention what the city may fine him. No, he is not exempt from the NYS mandatory surcharge because of his age.
Last year I was ticketed for tossing a cigarette butt out of my car window in Oswego and ended up paying $135.oo in fines and surcharges. I agree I was wrong but the monatary award to the state does seem quite excessive to me.
One might ponder if the police’ pro-arrest stance might be somehow connected to New Yorks’ severe financial troubles.