Another 17-year-old has been arrested on charges stemming from the violence outside McKinley High School last week, this one accused of firing a handgun into a crowd and wounding a security guard in the leg. His arrest Monday came as Mayor Byron Brown said additional school resource officers will be in place when juniors and seniors return to in-person classes Thursday.
The 17-year-old arrested Monday, the second teenager charged in a four-day span, pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder, second-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Buffalo Police said late Thursday that they had a 17-year-old male in custody in connection with an incident that occurred a day prior at McKinley High School in which a 14-year-old boy was stabbed and a security guard was shot.
The other 17-year-old, who was arrested Thursday, was charged with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. That teen was involved in the part of the fight outside the school where a 14-year-old was beaten and stabbed. District Attorney John Flynn declined to say what specific actions that teenager is accused of taking to inflict injuries to the victim.
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The 17-year-old arrested Monday stands accused of firing a handgun multiple times Wednesday into a crowd during a fight outside the high school on Elmwood Avenue. He was taken into custody Monday morning by Buffalo police at a home on Baxter Street in the city's Riverside neighborhood, law enforcement officials announced at a news conference. Buffalo police, including the department's SWAT team, went to the teen's home with a warrant and took him into custody without incident. He came out of the house on his own, police said.
Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Kriner Cash said the district is taking steps to address concerning incidents, such as fights, that have happened at a slightly higher rate at McKinley and a handful of other schools than on average across the district.
Both teens, whose names have been withheld due to their ages, were in custody at the youth detention center on East Ferry Street. Erie County Family Court Judge Kelly Brinkworth ordered them held without bail at separate court appearances Monday.
The 17-year-old arrested Monday wore a medical face mask, white T-shirt, light blue sweatpants and sneakers as he appeared in court with his hands handcuffed behind his back. His mother attended the court proceeding. She declined comment afterward.
Police and prosecutors have said the school security guard was shot as he sought to intervene in the fight in a parking lot outside the school in which the 14-year-old was beaten and stabbed. Between 15 and 25 people were in the lot at the time of the fight.
The 14-year-old was stabbed 10 times, with nine knife wounds to the chest and abdomen. He remains hospitalized. On Thursday, a 13-year-old reported being grazed in the left flank by a bullet in the incident.
The 17-year-old charged in the shooting was not specifically charged with injuring the 13-year-old. Flynn said he wants to "make sure that the grazing came from a bullet" before filing a charge.
In response to the shooting, McKinley has switched to remote learning for the rest of the week.
Police said Monday they have not recovered either weapon.
The 17-year-old arrested Monday is allegedly part of the same group as the teen charged last week, the district attorney said.
When asked about the 14-year-old's condition, Brown said he was asked by the family not to directly comment on it.
"He was able to sit up in a chair," the mayor said of seeing the teen during a visit on Saturday.
During a court appearance Monday, Daniel Schaus, the defense attorney for the teen accused of firing shots, told the judge his client is a sophomore at the school. Flynn said that while a registered student at McKinley, the teen has "not had great attendance."
Schaus asked the judge to set "reasonable" amount of bail for his client.
Police on Friday announced a $5,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of the suspected gunman. The reward announcement led to "pretty quick tips," Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said.
Investigators are still looking for additional suspects involved in last week's violence, Flynn said.
Students at McKinley, who had been scheduled to return to in-person classes on Monday, won't return for in-person instruction until Thursday, Buffalo Public Schools announced.
Juniors and seniors will attend in person on Thursday, while freshmen and sophomores will attend in person on Friday.
All students will return for in-person classes on Feb. 28, following a week of winter break.
All after-school activities at McKinley resumed Monday.
The additional school resource officers will be in place at McKinley until sometime in April, the mayor said.
Reach Aaron at abesecker[at]buffnews.com or 716-849-4602.
