School safety officers arrested a 16-year-old Queens middle school student who tried to sneak a BB gun into class Wednesday, officials said.
The BB gun was recovered from the teen’s backpack after a hand wand scan as classes started at the Robert F. Wagner Middle School on 30th Place near 47th Ave. in Long Island City, according to members of Teamsters Local 237, which represents school safety officers.
Cops took the teen into custody. Charges were pending.
“The NYPD swiftly and safely recovered a BB gun at Robert F. Wagner High School in Queens. DOE continues to work closely with the NYPD to ensure the safety of all school buildings,” City Hall spokesman Austin Finan said.
The discovery comes amid a streak of weapon confiscations at city schools since the start of the academic year.
On Nov. 9, school safety officers caught a 13-year-old boy bringing a handgun to Middle School 202 in Ozone Park, Queens, officials said. The next day, random metal detector searches at the same school led to the discovery of two knives and two box cutters that students were trying to sneak inside, according to officials.
The Nov. 9 incident marked the fourth time since the start of the current academic year that a city student was busted bringing a gun to school.
“The crime wave goes on in New York City schools and the Mayor denies it,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a spokesman for Teamsters Local 237. “He says crime is down. Who is he kidding? What will it take for the Mayor to wake up?”
City Hall and the city’s Education department did not immediately return a request for comment.
Finan blasted Sheinkopf, claiming that City Hall deals “in reality.”
“The fact is our schools are safer than they’ve ever been,” he said. “While crime across the city has plummeted to historic lows, so, too, has it in our schools, where the overall crime index has fallen 35% in the last five years.”
