A teen is facing charges after he brought an unloaded revolver to a Northeast Philadelphia high school on Wednesday over safety fears following a fight and lockdown the day before, his friend tells NBC10.
"He just wanted to scare people. That's why he brought it," said the 18-year-old Samuel Fels High School student who asked that his name be withheld over fears of retribution.
"People just want to fight in school, beef with people," he said.
He is the same teen that took a picture of the handgun after watching his good friend Juan Mejias, 18, wave it around in the back of class this morning and then went to school administrators to tell them about it.
After seeing the photo, at 9:50 a.m., the school at 5500 Langdon Street in the Summerdale section of the city was locked down, school officials said. Police were called to the scene and a SWAT team dispatched.
Photos from inside the school's gym showed Philadelphia Police SWAT officers huddled near students who are sitting on the floor. One student said they witnessed police K9s being used to sweep the school.
Police took five teens, including Mejias and the 18-year-old whistleblower, into custody for questioning.
A room-by-room search of the school turned up the revolver in a weight room trash can, officials said. The lockdown was lifted shortly after the discovery.
Mejias, who brought the gun to school, has been placed under arrest, police said. He was charged Thursday with bringing a weapon to school, reckless endangerment and other related offenses.
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Mejias is facing explusion, said Philadelphia School District Spokesman Fernando Gallard.
Police said they have been keeping a close eye recently on the school and it's 1,100 member student body after an increase in fights and other issues.
Fels does have metal detectors, but not on its exit doors, school officials said. They are now trying to determine how the teen got the gun into the school.
