The 16-year-old Haverhill High sophomore arrested Monday after school staff reportedly caught him with a gun has been arraigned in Lawrence Juvenile Court. The Essex County District Attorney’s office tells WHAV the teen faces several weapon- and drug-related charges as a result of the incident.
Facing a judge Monday, the juvenile has been charged with carrying a firearm without a license, trespassing, carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds and possession of a Class E drug, District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett’s spokeswoman Carrie Kimball said.
While Kimball did not specify the type of drug involved, class E drugs may include codeine, Percocet, Adderall or anti-anxiety drugs, for example.
As WHAV previously reported, the juvenile was one of several hundred at the Monument Street building July 29 when security glimpsed him with the gun and he ran, allegedly tossing the weapon outside of campus, School Department spokesman Shawn Regan said. After being apprehended on Broadway, the juvenile was arrested by Haverhill Police.
As police continued to search for the weapon Tuesday, Haverhill’s Mayor James J. Fiorentini called the incident “completely unacceptable” as he renewed his commitment to student safety.
Said Fiorentini: “It is obviously completely unacceptable that anyone was able to bring a firearm into a school. This can never be allowed to happen. Your safety is our top concern. Once the superintendent and I have all the facts, we will work together to see if there are other measures that can be and should be taken.”
Stay with 97.9 WHAV FM for more on this developing story.