Teen Arraigned for Bringing Unloaded Handgun into Buffalo Public School

Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that a 17-year-old male from Buffalo was arraigned yesterday morning before Youth Part Judge Brenda Freedman on one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon on School Grounds and one count of Criminal Possession of a Firearm (Class E felonies).

It is alleged that on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at approximately 11:00 a.m., the adolescent offender was found in possession unloaded handgun inside of a school on the 600 block of East Delavan Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The weapon was allegedly recovered during a search of the student's bag by a school security guard.

The adolescent offender is accused of committing the crime while released in a separate pending in the Youth Part of Superior Court. It is alleged that on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at approximately 9:31 a.m., Buffalo Police executed a search warrant at the adolescent offender's residence on South Domedion Street where they recovered a quantity of suspected methamphetamine, a quantity of suspected cocaine, a quantity of suspected fentanyl, packing material and a digital scale. It is also alleged that upon arriving at the scene, investigators observed the adolescent offender throw what appeared to be a firearm out of a lower rear window of the residence. Police allegedly recovered a loaded, illegal pistol equipped with a large capacity feeding device.

The adolescent offender was arraigned before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan, a designated Youth Part judge, on one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree (Class A-I felony), one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (Class A-II felony), one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (Class B felony), one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (Class D felony), one count of Criminal Possession of a Firearm (Class E felony), and two counts of Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree (Class A misdemeanors). Our prosecutor requested that the adolescent offender be remanded. He was released on his own recognizance.

The adolescent offender is scheduled to return for a felony hearing before Judge Freedman on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. He was remanded to the custody of the Erie County Youth Services Center.

DA Keane commends the Buffalo Police Department for their work in these investigations.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Nicholas Marino and Taylor L. Yensan of the Raise the Age/Motor Vehicle Theft Insurance Fraud Unit.

As are all persons accused of a crime, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.