Teen Arrested After Allegedly Posting Racist Video on Social Media, Firing Gun in Chenango County

A high school student is under arrest, facing charges after allegedly firing a gun in a social media post threatening members of the public.

New York State Police from the Sidney barracks say they began an investigation on January 28, 2022 after the Bainbridge-Guilford Central School District (BGCSD) notified them about a video that was posted online to social media which in which two people were shown.  One allegedly made a "threat against Black people using a racial slur" and then fired a rifle at a tree.

The individuals in the video were identified, and police say a weapon was located.  According to a written release their "...investigation determined that the rifle possessed by the 17-year-old was not SAFE Act compliant. The student was arrested and later arraigned as an adolescent offender in Chenango County Court."

Police say that the student was not charged with a hate crime after speaking with the Chenango County District Attorney's Office "since the video was not directly sent to a specific person of group."

The student was charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 3rd degree, a class D felony.

The other person in the video was not charged.

The BGCSD Board sent out a letter to parents and the community stating, among other things, that they shared "outrage, pain, and concern over a grotesquely racist video..." and that the District has "...absolutely no tolerance for any form of racist, bigoted, discriminatory, or hateful speech..."

[AUTHOR'S NOTE:    This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the New York State Police.  All arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.  At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]