Man breaks into school, approaches student and punches principal, New York police say

An “unknown” man broke into a New York school and approached a young student before assaulting the building’s assistant principal, authorities said.

Shane Cronin, 30, entered the museum of the Dr. Charles R. Magnet School in Buffalo and walked over to a child on Feb. 11, according to a news release issued by the Buffalo Police Department. The science-focused school is attended by students in pre-K through eighth grade.

When the school’s principal intervened, police said Cronin punched him and pushed him into a wall.

Then he ran off into the school’s museum, where authorities found him hiding, according to police. Officers responded to the reported assault around 12:30 p.m. that day.

Information regarding Cronin’s legal counsel wasn’t immediately available Feb. 12.

Cronin, of Lombard, Illinois, was arrested “without incident,” police said.

He’s charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree harassment, third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child, according to police.

Buffalo police detectives from the department’s threat management unit applied for a temporary extreme risk protection order in connection with the incident, police said.

The order was granted by a judge, according to police.

In New York, an extreme risk protection order is sought for people considered potentially dangerous.

The order prevents an individual from buying or having guns, according to state law. It also orders them to give up any guns they have.

When the order is granted, police are allowed to search an individual, a certain location or a vehicle for firearms and seize any weapons found.

It’s unclear why Cronin entered the Dr. Charles R. Magnet School. Authorities didn’t specify potential motives.

McClatchy News contacted school principal Mark Shoemaker for comment Feb. 12 and didn’t receive an immediate response.

This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Man breaks into school, approaches student and punches principal, New York police say."

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.