A 16-year-old wanted for murder was busted after he was caught with a loaded gun in his backpack at his Harlem high school, police said.
The allegedly pistol-packing teen, identified as Armany Sanchez, was arrested Tuesday in A. Philip Randolph Campus High School , a landmark building with imposing spires on City College of New York’s campus, police said.
A school safety agent allegedly discovered that Sanchez had a loaded gun inside a backpack, prompting NYPD cops to respond shortly after 12:50 p.m., according to police.
The teen — who was arrested on a gun charge — had also been wanted by the NYPD in connection with the April 17 shooting death of 34-year-old Christopher Jimenez, police said.
The accused teen terror had gotten into an argument with the man in NYCHA’s Manhattanville Houses along West 126th Street, police said.
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He allegedly slugged Jimenez, knocking him to the ground, then pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest, officials said.
Medics rushed the wounded man to Mount Sinai Morningside, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Word of Sanchez’s gun bust spread through the school, although a group of students interviewed Thursday weren’t aware that their friend was also facing a murder charge.
Still, one sophomore didn’t think the gun was a big deal.
“So what?” he said. “He’s got a gun in his bag right now,” and motioned toward one of his companions.
He said Sanchez “brought the gun [to the school] for no reason” and he “wasn’t planning on doing anything with it.”
Sanchez was arraigned Wednesday on a slew of charges, including murder, manslaughter, assault with intent to cause serious injury and criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds, court records show.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A judge ordered the teen to be held in jail without bail ahead of his next court appearance on May 6, the records show.
Police also charged Angel Celpa, 29, as an alleged accomplice in the fatal shooting. Celpa was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and assault in the incident.
Records show he was ordered held on $25,000 cash bail or a $100,000 bond. He was released after posting bail.
