Red Jacket HS student facing weapons charges

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (WHEC) — The student accused of bringing a gun to Red Jacket High School has been charged.

The 15-year-old, who isn’t being named, is facing two counts of criminal possession of a weapon (2nd) for the April 1 incident. He was disarmed by a school staff member and no one was injured.

He was arraigned on those charges in Ontario County Court. He’s in "secure placement" and could face 1 to 1 3/4 years if tried and convicted as an adult.

“We have to look at, of course, the public safety aspect as well as what’s best for him. You know, what do we do to make sure this doesn’t happen again? How do we treat him?” said Ontario County District Attorney James Ritts.

Ritts said they have to look at this case from a "holistic" approach.

“What can we do again to make sure he doesn’t do this again? And we have hopefully enough tools in our available that we can help this young man.”

Ritts said the student did have a plan in place before he walked into the school.“I mean, this is something that came into the school from outside. So there had to be some measure of forethought and planning going into it,” Ritts said. “I mean, there was a plan. I don’t know how well it was planned out, how well it certainly wasn’t. Fortunately, it wasn’t executed very well.”

Right now he’s being charged as a juvenile offender, which means he could be tried as an adult.

“We have a lot of work to do, a lot of investigation, do a lot of records to collect and review," Ritts said. “So there’s a lot more to be done before determinations made on whether he gets tried as an adult or not.”

The student is expected back in court on Friday.