A 16-year-old student was arrested Thursday after allegedly pulling a loaded handgun on a classmate inside Martin Van Buren High School in Queens, briefly sending the campus into lockdown and rattling students and parents. School safety agents called in police, and officers later caught up with the fleeing teen away from the immediate scene.
According to the New York Post, the confrontation broke out around 1:50 p.m., when a fight between two students escalated and the 16-year-old allegedly flashed the loaded weapon. Officers from the NYPD's 105th Precinct tracked down the suspect, recovered the gun and arrested him. Police charged the teen with criminal possession of a weapon, menacing and obstructing governmental administration, the outlet reported.
Lockdown at Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren High School sits at 230-17 Hillside Avenue in Queens Village, according to the Department of Education. The campus is not a permanent metal-scanning school, and does not normally use full-time metal-detector screening, as noted by InsideSchools. Officers from the NYPD responded to the school and are leading the on-campus investigation.
Charges and What They Mean
Police say the teen now faces counts of criminal possession of a weapon, menacing and obstructing governmental administration. New York law treats bringing a firearm onto school property as a serious offense, and the state courts' criminal law guide outlines several degrees of weapon possession that carry increasing penalties depending on the circumstances. As with other juvenile arrests, this case will move through specialized juvenile and criminal court procedures while prosecutors and investigators sort through the evidence.
Campus History and City Response
The arrest comes amid persistent citywide concern about weapons in and around schools. Martin Van Buren was the scene of a stabbing in February 2024 that led to temporary installation of metal detectors, according to CBS New York. City officials have also highlighted increased school safety staffing and targeted patrols in recent months as part of a broader push to curb youth violence, according to a January statement from the mayor's office.
Investigators are still piecing together how the gun made it onto campus and what exactly unfolded during the fight. The Queens district attorney’s office will decide whether to move forward with formal filings in juvenile court. This story will be updated if the NYPD or the Department of Education releases an official statement.
