16-Year-Old Arrested at Queens High School After Gun Found in Backpack Following Threat

School Threat and Arrest

• 🚨 A 16-year-old student at Benjamin Cardozo High School in Queens was arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot up the school.
• 📱 The threat was made via an Instagram post, which appeared to show a sketch with a typed message indicating the student's intent.
• 📞 School safety officers, acting on a tip from the FBI and relayed to the police department, located the student and verified the post was linked to his phone.

Discovery of Firearm

• 🎒 During a search of the student's backpack, a 9-millimeter handgun with 13 rounds in the magazine was discovered.
• 👮 The NYPD commissioner emphasized the swift response of officers in preventing potential harm and ensuring student safety.

Ongoing Investigations and Community Response

• ❓ Investigators are looking into how the student obtained the gun, how he brought it into the school, and if anyone else was involved.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The mayor urged parents to connect with their children and encouraged students experiencing anxiety or distress to speak with someone.
• ⚖️ The 10th grader, who has no prior criminal history, is being questioned at a precinct station house with at least one parent present.