Commack Student Arrested After Air Gun Find

A 17-year-old Commack High School student was arrested Monday after he brought an airsoft pellet gun to school, police said.

According to police, the male student was walking to school when he found the airsoft gun on the ground and put it in his backpack. Witnesses who saw him do this, reported the incident to school personnel and police were notified. Suffolk County police said that the student was identified and searched, and that the air gun was found in his locker.

The airsoft gun was deemed inoperable, school officials said.

Police arrested and charged the 17-year-old with a violation of bringing an unlawful weapon into a school.

The incident caused a wildfire on social media, sparking rumors that the school was on lockdown. However, the security alert never escalated to that level, district officials said.

"There was no lockdown," Brenda Lentsch, spokesperson for the district confirmed.

She said that the building is safe and secure.

"School administration worked under the direction of the police with the support of Commack Security Staff throughout the investigation. Commack High School was and remains secure with our students and staff safe with minimal disruption to their school routines," administrators posted the the district's website.