ST PAUL, Minn. — A 16-year-old student who allegedly brought a gun to Harding High School on April 20 has been charged in juvenile court.
According to a juvenile petition filed in Ramsey County, the teen is facing three charges: possession of a weapon - under 18 years old, possession of a dangerous weapon on school property and receiving stolen property.
Saint Paul Police say officers were called to Harding High School in St. Paul around 2 p.m. on April 20, 2022 after getting reports that an "agitated" student had a handgun in his waistband.
The student was already handcuffed and seated when police arrived, according to the documents, and when he was searched by officers they found a loaded and chambered 9 mm Glock handgun in his sweatshirt.
Harding High School was placed in lockdown while staff struggled to detain the student, who denied possessing the gun and attempted to run away when they tried putting him in handcuffs.
According to a statement of probable cause filed with the court, at one point the student "was able to place his hand into his pocket and told staff that his finger was on the trigger."
Police say that the handgun found on the student had been reported stolen out of St. Paul. Court documents add that investigators determined the gun was reported stolen from a vehicle parked at the Sacred Heart Church in St. Paul the day before police retrieved the gun from the student in school.
Video surveillance from the church parking lot appears to show the teen breaking into the car and stealing the gun, documents say. According to police, the sweatshirt worn by the person caught on video was the same sweatshirt the teen was wearing when he was arrested the following day.
The April 20 incident was the third time a weapon was reported at Harding this school year. Earlier this month parents and students were unnerved by an incident that was recorded in the bathroom and shared on social media. The weapon seen on tape ended up being a BB gun, and police are investigating that incident as an armed robbery.
Back in November, a boy in the school was seen showing off a loaded gun.
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