KEY POINTS

  • Officials found knives, pepper spray, stun guns, and brass knuckles from students 
  • The metal detector check came a day after a student was found carrying a gun
  • An increasing number of students are bringing in weapons as a means of protection: Report

Officials recovered 21 weapons, including knives and stun guns from students in a Brooklyn high school building during an unannounced metal detector check conducted Thursday.

This came after a day after a teen in the same building was caught with a loaded gun and $30,000 in cash, reported New York Post.

The detector was placed in the complex housing the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice and two other schools in downtown Brooklyn. According to the Department of Education, the Adam Street complex has 1,000 students.

Officials recovered nine knives, seven cans of pepper spray, four stun guns, and a pair of brass knuckles during an impromptu check.

The building does not have permanent metal detectors, but officials set up the scanner Thursday as part of Mayor de Blasio’s plan to increase random metal detector scanning following an uptick in weapons seizures this school year, according to reports.

However, Greg Floyd, president of the school safety agents union, told New York Post that he wasn’t surprised by the weapons haul. "Once again,” he said. "I ask the question: How many weapons are in our schools? We just don’t know. This is the tip of the iceberg."

He also vehemently opposed calls to remove safety agents and metal detectors from schools, adding that lack of hiring has left schools understaffed with safety agents.

On Wednesday, a 17-year-old was busted after showing up late for school. While entering an office to log his attendance, a school staffer spotted what she thought was a pistol in his backpack and alerted school safety agents.

The student was detained until NYPD units arrived and allegedly discovered a 9mm pistol and more than $30,000 in cash with him.

Meanwhile, a building source told New York Post that an increasing number of students are bringing in weapons as a means of protection. "A lot of these kids bring this stuff for self-defense," she said, adding: "It’s a shame that it’s come to that. But it’s the truth. Sometimes you see who is carrying in something or gets caught with something and you can’t believe it. They’re scared," the source added.

"Weapons of any kind have absolutely no place in our schools, and our outstanding school safety agents safely recovered these items during screenings, ensuring that all students and staff are safe," said DOE spokesperson Nathaniel Styer.

Stun Gun
Representation. REUTERS