The parents of an elementary school student have been arrested after the third grader accidentally discharged a gun inside his backpack.
The incident occurred after the student found an unsecured handgun at home and placed it inside his backpack before going to school. The Lee Hill Elementary School student later reached into his backpack and accidentally pulled the gun's trigger. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
Third Grader Accidentally Discharges Handgun in Backpack
Officials charged the parents, identified as 36-year-old Ciara Armstead and 34-year-old Terrence Carroll Jr., with one count of recklessly failing to secure a loaded firearm, one count of endangering a child under age 14, and one count of willfully or negligently endangering the life of a child in their custody.
The parents were later released on bond and now have pending scheduled court appearances on Friday. When the gun inside the elementary school student's backpack went off shortly before 11:00 a.m., a teacher quickly evacuated all 26 students from the classroom before notifying the law enforcement officer who was assigned to the school, according to the Washington Post.
The school's principal sent a letter to parents on Monday telling them they followed safety protocols after the handgun went off. Students who were inside the classroom with the gun, as well as those in adjacent classrooms, were moved to the cafeteria.
A school district statement also noted that the school followed protocols for securing the gun as well as conducting a threat assessment. It added that counselors are available for students and also urged families to check their kids' backpacks every day to make sure that they do not bring unnecessary things.
The Arrest of the Student's Parents
The sheriff's office said that there was no information about who exactly owned the gun the student brought to school or why the child decided to bring it. It added that the third grader had no intention to harm anyone, NBC Washington reported.
The school division released a statement saying that the safety of their students and staff was their top priority. They are thoroughly investigating the incident and are working with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office.
It added that they would be taking appropriate action in accordance with their student code of conduct and board policies. Officials will be looking to determine what additional steps they can take to ensure that they can keep their students secure and safe from similar instances of potential threats to their well-being, as per WTOP News.
