Three Hempfield teens charged with possessing guns on school property aren’t due in court until December.
The students, ages 15 and 16, were charged earlier this month with multiple criminal charges in connection with an Oct. 2 incident in which school officials and police claim three male students passed two loaded handguns — a .38-caliber and a .22-caliber weapon — on a school bus and in a bathroom at the high school.
Investigators said both firearms were stolen.
The students were charged as juveniles and were scheduled to appear before Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Michele Bononi on Thursday. A court staffer said witness availability issues caused the cases to be pushed back several months.
The teens are now scheduled to appear in court Dec. 20.
Officials said the teens were charged with felony gun counts as well as receiving stolen property and causing or risking catastrophe, and several misdemeanors. At least one student is charged with theft.
One juvenile is facing 11 criminal counts, and the other two are charged with seven offenses each, according to court officials.
Because the teens were charged as juveniles, specific information about their cases is not available for the public to view. Their hearings, because they are older than 14 and charged with felony offenses, under state law will be open to the public.
