Guilty plea accepted
in gun case

By Lauren Fritsky
Times Staff Writer

A student who brought a loaded gun into Abraham Lincoln High School last month pleaded guilty in court Monday to several charges and was immediately taken to a juvenile detention center.
On May 18 at around 9:40 a.m., the 17-year-old male, who had been on suspension from Lincoln for fighting, carried a loaded 9 mm handgun onto the second floor of the school.
Security personnel recognized the student and called police.
The student pleaded guilty to felony charges of theft and violation of the firearms act and misdemeanor charges of bringing a weapon onto school property and recklessly endangering another person.
The student will spend 12 to 18 months in a juvenile detention facility in Glen Mills, Pa.
The incident was the second involving a Lincoln student carrying a gun this school year.
In April, police arrested a 15-year-old girl and her 17-year-old companion after they were found walking along the 3300 block of Guilford St. with a loaded .45-caliber gun.
As for the case adjudicated Monday, Assistant District Attorney Joseph McGlynn could not confirm if the student had any prior arrests, but he did say that "special significance" was placed on the nature of the May crime.
"We were ultimately very concerned with the actions that he took," McGlynn said.
The student, who would have started his senior year at Lincoln this fall, will be reviewed periodically while in the detention facility and upon his release.
It is uncertain whether he could return to Lincoln.
"After that, we’re going to be sure that he is reintegrated into the community as smoothly as possible," McGlynn said. "There are going to be reviews to make sure that he does do OK, that he’s also supervised on the streets." ••
Reporter Lauren Fritsky can be reached at 215-354-3038 or lfritsky@phillynews.com