Naperville teen charged with bringing gun to Metea Valley High School

A 17-year-old Naperville boy has been charged with two felonies for bringing an unloaded handgun to Metea Valley High School, Aurora police said Tuesday.

The boy, a student at the Aurora school, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon, police said. He's in the custody of juvenile officials and no further charges are expected.

Police said the boy brought the semiautomatic handgun, which apparently belongs to one of his parents, to school in his backpack.

"There is an investigation into who exactly owns the gun but from what we've been able to uncover so far, it appears to belong to his parents," Aurora police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said. "We believe (the gun) to be legally owned and it appears to have been kept in a safe."

More than one student alerted authorities to the presence of the handgun around 1:40 p.m. Monday and school administrators and the Aurora school resource officer immediately took the student into custody.

"This is a good illustration of the integral role students play in keeping themselves and their schools safe. Students today tend to look at school place violence as something that can happen in their own schools," Ferrelli said. "By accepting its realities, they've become empowered to report suspicious activities and that is indeed in everyone's best interest."

No ammunition was found in the boy's possession nor in his car or locker.

The youth did not make any threats, police said, and told authorities he had no intention of using the weapon. He could not, however, explain why he brought the gun to school.

Indian Prairie Unit District 204 spokeswoman Janet Buglio declined to comment on any disciplinary measures, but district code states that a student who brings a gun to school faces expulsion for "at least one calendar year but not more than two calendar years."