A former Community College of Philadelphia student from Torresdale pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges on Thursday, admitting that he brought a gun to school and threatened a classmate with it last May.
Common Pleas Court Judge Frank Palumbo sentenced Ryan Fitch, 24, of the 9500 block of State Road, to serve four years reporting probation, to surrender his weapons and to forfeit his license to carry as part of a plea arrangement with the District Attorney’s Office, according to court documents. Fitch also must get anger management counseling.
Authorities said that Fitch brought a gun to CCP’s Spring Garden Street campus on May 28 and brandished it “in a threatening manner” during an argument with another male student. Police were called to the scene, but Fitch fled before they arrived. As a result, the CCP campus and two nearby high schools were placed on lockdown status until authorities determined the threat was gone. Hundreds were evacuated.
Officers from the 8th Police District arrested Fitch later that day at his home and recovered the handgun. Fitch had a license to carry the weapon, but CCP prohibits guns on campus.
Fitch pleaded guilty to making terroristic threats and possessing an instrument of crime. The prosecutor’s office dropped simple assault and reckless endangerment charges. ••
