Dad Accused of Bringing Gun Into Worcester School Ordered Held Without Bail

A Massachusetts father is being held without bail after he allegedly brought a handgun to a Worcester high school to confront a boy who he'd been told hit his daughter.

Jerome Weekes, a 41-year-old from Canton, was in Worcester District Court Monday after his arrest last week.

He was seen Wednesday afternoon searching the hallways and a classroom at Worcester's Doherty High School during dismissal -- armed and with his daughter by his side -- searching for a male student who had allegedly hit the girl, Worcester police have said.

"He did possess a black pistol, it was on his lap and he carried that into the high school, and that was on video," prosecutor Brian Pearly said in court.

But Weekes' defense attorney said the case represents the word of a 14-year-old boy against his client.

"Mr. Weekes vehemently denies that he had a gun, his daughter denies that he had a gun, we don't know why the boy said what he said, he probably was mistaken," defense attorney Tom Kerner said.

The lawyer explained that he'd been told a relative of the boy who'd allegedly hit Weekes' daughter claimed that Weekes had a gun, but none had been seized.

"The kid is lying. My son never owned a gun, he doesn't own a gun and I don't know what would make the kid say that," said the defendant's mother, Jewel Weekes.

She said her son was holding a cell phone, not a pistol, when he went to his daughter's school to talk to the boy: "They punched her, so my son was only speaking to him to tell him don't touch his daughter, which, you know, I'm sure he's going to learn from this experience, don't go to someone that's angry and punching your daughter because they're going to tell a lie on you."

Court records show Weekes has a criminal history dating back 25 years, including firearms offenses and jail time. He does not have a license to carry a gun.

Weekes is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on Thursday.