Updated – 8 p.m. Two Riverhead Middle School students are charged with unlawful weapons possession after being caught with a BB gun and two knives at the middle school Friday morning, Riverhead Town Police said in a press release Friday evening.
Police arrested one 13-year-old from Riverhead and one 14-year-old from Flanders on charges of Unlawful Possession of Weapons by Persons under Sixteen, according to the release.
Both juveniles were processed at Riverhead Police headquarters and released to a parent for a future court appearance, police said.
School district officials said in a statement this morning that middle school students were found to be in possession of knives, a toy gel gun and a BB gun on school grounds, after district employees were told about a “potential altercation” planned after-school amongst students, according to the school superintendent.
Building administration was notified of a potential altercation with weapons planned for after school hours, Superintendent Augustine Tornatore said in a message to parents sent around 11:45 a.m.. The administrative team and district security recovered a toy Orby gun, a BB Gun and two knives from a search of involved students and their lockers, according to the message.
At no point were any students, faculty or staff in harm’s way, the superintendent said.
Tornatore did not say in the message how many students were involved in the incident or whether any students were arrested by police. The district is “working with the Riverhead Police Department in their investigation of this incident,” the message said.
Students will be punished by the district in accordance with the school district’s Code of Character, Conduct and Support, Tornatore said. Under the code, a student who is found guilty by the district of bringing or possessing weapons to school is subject to suspension from school for at least one calendar year, subject to modification on a case-by-case basis by the superintendent.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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