16-Year-Old Charged After Loaded Gun Found at Queens High School
A 16-year-old boy was charged on Friday after being found with a loaded gun at Benjamin Cardoso High School in Queens. According to officials, the teenager has been hit with charges related to making terrorist threats.
Police Chief Jessica Tish shared the details at a morning press conference, mentioning that the firearm—a 9mm Taurus GX4 with a magazine containing 13 rounds—was discovered in the boy’s backpack. This follow-up came just two hours after he posted a concerning Instagram photo that hinted at a threat.
During a swift investigation, officers uncovered two additional 9mm bullets in the teenager’s bedroom. It was revealed that the firearm was legally purchased on January 9, 2025, by a permit holder from South Carolina, which raised questions about how the gun made its way to New York.
The NYPD, in collaboration with the ATF, has launched an investigation to trace the gun’s journey from South Carolina to Queens. Tish, alongside Mayor Eric Adams, pointed to the ongoing efforts to reclaim illegal weapons, stating that 4,000 firearms have been taken off the streets this year alone.
Mayor Adams emphasized the importance of stopping the gun flow, stating, “What police departments do every day—put illegal guns in zero—those we remove save lives.” He acknowledged the hard work of the NYPD, which has reportedly seized 15 guns daily for the past eight months.
Year-end crime statistics indicate that a staggering 6,150 illegal guns were confiscated throughout 2024, with over 4,000 arrests made for gun possession. Since the start of the Adams administration in 2022, more than 23,700 illegal firearms have been removed from the streets, a figure that the mayor believes has a significant impact on public safety.
Adams reflected on the serious implications of these seizures, saying, “These are 23,000 guns that are not used to take lives or hurt innocent people.” This statement was made just days after a management report showcasing a marked decrease in major crimes in New York City.
Tish and Adams credited various initiatives, like targeted programs for youth and efforts to tackle gang violence, for the recent drops in crime. However, the mayor also stressed the need for the criminal justice system to ensure violent offenders are kept off the streets. He expressed concern about the revolving door of justice, asserting that it sends a troubling message about how seriously society takes gun violence.
