WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Wednesday's incident near Scranton High School is at the top of the mind of Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce.
"I keep telling the public and the government of Luzerne County that big problems have reached Luzerne County. We have to stop acting like they aren't here," said Sanguedolce.
He's assisting Scranton police in the investigation into 16-year-old Shayir Dickerson.
The teen took a bus from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton before he was stopped with a loaded rifle heading toward the school.
"Between the time we learned he boarded the bus and the time he got to Scranton, there were civilians involved. He asked about finding Scranton High School," added Sanguedolce.
Since then, another teen, a 14-year-old, has been arrested for helping plan a shooting on rival gang members at the Scranton high school.
The DA says gangs are becoming a big problem across Luzerne County.
We have seen extremely violent, premeditated actions, even murders by teenagers, and that's something we have to get used to dealing with and something we have to be prepared for.
The DA says there isn't any indication there could be any retaliation in Wilkes-Barre because of this incident. But he is reminding people to stay vigilant and, if you see something, to say something.
"The same vigilance that you use in protecting yourself. If you see something suspicious, please let us know because you never know when you can stop a major tragedy by just relaying a little bit of information," Sanguedolce added.