Essex police have charged a 15-year-old with disorderly conduct and assault after finding him in possession of an air pistol Sunday evening at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex.
Police officers assigned to the fair were informed of a “male running with a handgun,” according to police reports. Police said they identified the suspect and recovered an air pistol when they searched the juvenile.
In a statement, the Essex Police Department said that they are “confident this was an isolated incident and there is no further danger to the public.” The department said reports on social media of an active shooter situation were false.
Officials involved in the case declined to offer further information about the case or the suspect because he is a minor.
Tim Shea, executive director of the Champlain Valley Exposition, said fair policy prohibits firearms, but fairgoers are not searched upon entry. He said the police officers’ quick response to the incident on Sunday demonstrated the effectiveness of the fair’s public safety strategies.
“From start to stop they apprehended him in very short order. I would say that our security plan worked, that the Essex Police was able to apprehend him so quickly,” Shea said.
In addition to disorderly conduct and assault, the juvenile suspect was also charged with reckless endangerment.
The case is still under investigation by the Essex police.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Police charge juvenile after false reports of an active shooter at fair.