NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. — The Niagara County Sheriff's Office made an arrest on Tuesday, after a man allegedly claimed he was going to take a weapon to BOCES to instill fear in students.
Niagara County 911 Dispatchers received a call around 1:48 p.m. on Tuesday regarding reports of a suspicious male in the Town of Cambria.
The caller stated that a man was walking down Saunders Settlement Road in the area of Shawnee Road carrying what appeared to be a BB gun, and waving it around.
Sheriff's deputies responded to the area and were able to locate the man on Saunders Settlement Road just east of Baer Road. Deputies ordered the man to drop his weapon, which he did, and detained him.
The gun the man had been reported to have, was a replica long gun not capable of firing according to the Sheriff's office.
After the man was detained, Niagara County Sheriff's deputies interviewed the man who said that his intentions were to walk to the Niagara-Orleans B.O.C.E.S/Niagara Academy property, gain access to the school and point his weapon at students to instill fear in them.
The man was identified as Owen Weidenboerner, 21, of the Town of Cambria. He is charged with attempted menacing in the 2nd degree. He was issued an appearance ticket and will return to court at a later date.
Weidenboerner was also taken to a local facility for a mental health evaluation.
