Buffalo man charged with criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Buffalo man was charged with criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds after he knowingly brought a firearm onto the grounds of an elementary school in the Town of Tonawanda, police announced Friday.

Officials said around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, police responded to Alexander Hamilton Elementary School for a “past-tense” report of an armed person on school grounds.

A witness allegedly saw a male, later identified as Anibal Sepulveda Jr., 40, leaving the school with a “visibly holstered and legally permitted firearm” that he has for work, police said.

According to police, Sepulveda was dropping off a child at the school and “did not have any malicious intentions.”

The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District said in a news release that the YMCA, which operates the district’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program, was allegedly told by a parent of a UPK student that another parent was on school property in possession of a firearm. They also said Sepulveda did not enter the building.

Sepulveda is scheduled for arraignment on Sept. 23.

The Town of Tonawanda Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact its department at (716) 879-6614 or its confidential tip line at (716) 879-6606.

Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here .