Newark High School was locked down Thursday after a 16-year-old student displayed a handgun close to the end of the school day.
No injuries were reported and the teen, who has not been named by Newark Police, is being held at the New Castle County Detention Center after failing to post $16,000 cash bail.
The incident began about 1 p.m. when police said a female student tried to get another student to leave the school, located at 750 E. Delaware Ave., Newark.
The female was trying to get the student to fight the 16-year-old boy, according to Newark Police Lt. Andrew Rubin.
The 16-year-old boy then approached the student, “pulled up his sweatshirt, displaying a handgun in his waistband, while threatening harm to the victim,” Rubin said.
For some reason, Rubin said the 16-year-old fled the school building as Newark Police School Resource Officers became aware of a disturbance in the school.
Once hearing reports of a possible armed person inside the building, school officials locked down the school while additional Newark Police Officers responded to the scene.
Dismissal staggered
“School officials were able to dismiss students at normal time in a staggered manner to limit the number of students in the halls at one time,” Ruben said.
After learning the 16-year-old student’s name, police went to his home in the Red Mill Farms development. Once there, Newark officers determined a shooting had occurred outside the 16-year-old’s residence.
In other news:Delaware Supreme Court finds vote by mail, same-day registration unconstitutional
Because Newark officers were outside their justification, New Castle County Police handled the shooting incident in which they said a 22-year-old man was wounded in his hand about 2:30 p.m.
That shooting victim told county police he was driving in the area at which point his car was shot multiple times.
“The victim was shot one time during the incident and remains in stable condition,” said Cpl. Michael McNasby, a county police spokesman.
Investigation continues
McNasby said the county police’s investigation revealed the 16-year-old boy was not responsible for the shooting in Red Mill Farms. “At this point, the suspect in the shooting incident in Red Mill Farms is still unknown,” he said.
The shooting investigation is ongoing and anyone with information or video pertaining to this incident should contact Detective Gino Cevallos at (302) 395-8129 or by email at Gino.Cevallos@newcastlede.gov or by calling the New Castle County Division of Police non-emergency number at (302) 573-2800.
The 16-year-old boy has been charged by Newark Police with possession of a firearm by a prohibited juvenile, aggravated menacing and terroristic threatening.
Ritz the cat passes:Ritz the cat, who vanished for 16 years before being found, embarks on his final journey
Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.
