CAMBRIA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Niagara County man is facing charges after investigators say he planned to frighten students at Niagara-Orleans B.O.C.E.S. by pointing a gun at them.
Owen Weidenboerner, 21, of Cambria is charged with attempted menacing. According to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, Weidenboerner was seen walking down Saunders Settlement Road near Shawnee Road Tuesday afternoon waving around what appeared to be a BB gun. Deputies responded to the area and ordered him to drop the weapon. He complied with orders and was taken into custody.
The weapon was a replica long gun, which was not capable of firing, deputies said.
According to the sheriff's office, Weidenboerner told them he planned to walk to the Niagara-Orleans B.O.C.E.S./Niagara Academy property, enter the school, and point the gun at students "to instill fear in them."
Weidenboerner was issued an appearance ticket in Cambria Town Court for the attempted menacing charge. He was taken to a nearby health facility for a mental health evaluation.
19-year-old Michael Zupo called 911 as he saw Weidenboerner walking along Route 31 with the fake gun, aiming it at traffic.
"I was driving down Route 31 back to my house and I witnessed a kid walking down the road with a 'BB' gun waving at cars right on Route 31," said Zupo.
Zupo knew he needed the County Sheriff's to come and check the scene before anything got out of hand.
"The kid walking up to the school with that or something like that, the Sheriff or SRO from a distance wouldn't know it was a fake gun," said Zupo.
Zupo is studying law enforcement at Niagara County Community College and said something within him told him to step up.
"It's in my family's blood, it's in my blood. So it's kind of what I am pursuing right now. I like helping people and I like helping my community. Hopefully I prevented something from happening in the future," said Zupo.
