
Continuity mistake: When Vernon is looking in the basement files and Carl walks in, the card in the drawer label holder is tilted and it stays this way for a few shots. When Vernon claims it's a highly sensitive area, the card is now straight, but in the shot after that it is tilted again.
Answer: It was a flare gun. I very much doubt that this is something that the faculty are aware of. Brian was obviously caught with the flare gun because it went off in his locker, whereas Bender has not been caught with the guillotine in his locker.
Scrappy