A 16-year-old Boone County youth has been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon on school property and other offenses for allegedly waving and handgun and pointing it at students on a school bus.
The Boone County Sheriff’s office said deputies responded to a call at East Bend and Snow roads in Burlington shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday for a report of a student with a gun on a school bus.
The male student, who attends Cooper High School, has not been named because of his age.
Police say witnesses told them the youth threw the weapon from the bus and a handgun was located less than a mile from where the bus had stopped.
The student, who lives in Burlington, has also been charged with, Terroristic Threatening 2nd degree, and Burglary 2nd degree. The lead investigator said an open case involving theft of a firearm was cleared as a result of the investigation and additional charges are expected to be filed.
The Boone County Sheriff’s office issued the following statement regarding the incident:
On Thursday, October 27, 2016 at approximately 2:50 p.m. Boone County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of East Bend & Snow Roads in Burlington, Kentucky for the report of a student on a school bus who was waving a handgun pointing it at other students and then threw it out the window when those students notified the bus driver.
While first responding deputies aided by Cooper High School officials were gathering the facts other deputies walked the roadway and located the handgun on the side of the road (less than a mile) from where the bus was stopped. The student, a 16 year old from Burlington, Kentucky who attends Cooper High is *charged with Unlawful possession of a weapon on school property, Terroristic Threatening 2nd degree, and Burglary 2nd degree.
Deputy David Hehman, who is leading the investigation, learned another Cooper student, a 15 year old from Florence, Kentucky had brought the weapon to school and had given it to the 16 year old. Further investigation into the matter led to the 15 year old being *charged with Unlawful possession of a weapon on school property, Burglary 2nd degree, Theft of a legend drug 1st offense, & Illegal possession of a legend drug.
Hehman cleared a burglary case and a theft case of the firearm in this investigation. Property from the burglary was recovered and returned to the owner. Additional charges are likely.
*Charges in a criminal complaint are accusations only. It is the government’s burden to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.