Staten Island students brought loaded guns to school, NYPD says

Two teens were taken into custody after they brought loaded guns into their Staten Island school on Monday, police said.

Officials at Curtis High School, located on Hamilton Avenue in St. George, were alerted to the two students - a 16-year-old who had a .22 caliber gun and an 18-year-old who had a .40 caliber gun - by another student at about 1:20 p.m. The guns were hidden in the students’ backpacks, police said.

“The safety of students and staff always comes first and this troubling incident was swiftly addressed,” said Department of Education spokeswoman Toya Holness. “The NYPD immediately responded and safely recovered the weapons. We are providing the school with ongoing support and extra guidance counselors to ensure appropriate follow-up action is taken.”

It was not immediately clear why the students brought the guns to school. There were no injuries reported, and charges against the pair were pending Monday evening, police said.