Charge dropped against teen accused of bringing firearm to school

A 15-year-old Clare Hall Secondary School student, who was said to have brought a firearm to school, has been cleared of firearm-related charges following a review by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The case, which stemmed from a September 27, 2024 incident where the student was allegedly seen with a firearm on school grounds, was dismissed at the Child Justice Board on February 13. The initial charge of using a firearm to commit assault was later modified to attempted use of a weapon.

The DPP’s office determined in late January that the police evidence was insufficient to support the charges.

Despite the teenager’s admission to possessing a weapon, police never recovered the firearm, and no additional offenses were reported.

The crown counsel concluded that the student’s actions and statements to peers failed to establish attempted criminal conduct under section 13 of the Firearms Act.

The incident prompted a hours-long school lockdown, with students confined to campus while police conducted an extensive search.

The teen was arrested the same day and spent time in His Majesty’s Prison before securing bail on his second High Court application.

Separately, the student faces an ongoing legal challenge regarding his expulsion from the public school system.