On Thursday, an 8-year-old student was found with a gun at P.S. 158 in Brooklyn. P.S. 158 is a non-scanning school and only has one School Safety Agent.
The automatic firearm was found in the male student’s backpack. At the time of reporting, it is unclear whether or not the weapon was loaded at the time it was found.
The Adams administration agreed last year to the creation of a new position, Assistant School Safety Agent, who would be assigned to elementary schools to alleviate the School Safety Agent shortage. As of today, they have not issued a hiring code to begin advertising the new position. The Adams administration also purchased non-invasive scanning equipment for schools. It is unclear if the new scanning equipment has been rolled out.
In a statement, a NYC Public Schools spokesperson, said “Guns have absolutely no place in the hands of our young people, and this incident is a deeply concerning example of the consequences of the proliferation of guns in our society and in our city. It’s extremely worrying when a child this young has access to such a dangerous weapon, and we are grateful for the partnership of our school communities in keeping our young people safe each day. All safety procedures were followed in response to this incident, and all students and staff are safe. We’re working closely with NYPD and ACS follow-up actions, and to ensure this young person receives they supports they need.”
This story is developing.
