A Lowell teen is facing criminal charges after allegedly bringing a loaded gun to school, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.
Prosecutors said the 16-year-old, who was not named due to his age, is a student at the Lowell Middlesex Academy Charter School. Police were called to the school around 12:45 p.m. after a report that there may be students with guns at the school and that someone made a threat to "shoot up the block."
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Officers stopped the teen as he was trying to leave the school and found a loaded revolver in his backpack, prosecutors allege. The DA added that the teen hit an officer and tried to run when he was approached. The incident set off a lockdown as police dogs conducted a sweep of the school to check for any other weapons.
“We will not tolerate illegal firearms in our schools in Middlesex County,” said District Attorney Marian Ryan in a media release. “In this case the young person who brought this loaded weapon into school put fellow students, school staff, himself, responding officers and everyone in the community at risk. I applaud the student who came forward to report this incident to a trusted adult.
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The teen is charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds, assault and battery of a police officer and possession of ammunition without a license in connection with his allegedly bringing a loaded firearm into the school.
