A sixth-grader found with gun in class reportedly says parents encouraged him after Connecticut shooting, reports Fox13 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The student attends West Kearns Elementary in Kearns, Utah. His classmates allege that the 11-year-old boy told them his parents "encouraged" him to bring a gun to school "for protection".
The boy reportedly pulled the gun, a .22-caliber pistol, out of his backpack during recess Monday morning.
“At recess, he pointed a gun to my head and said he was going to kill me,” said Isabel Rios, one of the boy’s fellow 6th grade students.
Amazing, but yet sadly far too believable.
Granite School District officials say students didn’t notify teachers about the weapon until 3 p.m.
“Once the teacher knew there was a weapon in the classroom, the student was apprehended in 30 to 45 seconds and immediately brought down to the office and the police were on site within five to 10 minutes,” said Granite School District Spokesman Ben Horsley.
According to the Fox news story, the school did not inform the parents of the other students that a gun was brought to school on Monday. The student who brought the gun has been suspended and the parents' involvement is being investigated by the police.
ThinkProgress adds:
Far-right advocates of looser gun restrictions have been advocating since Friday for more guns in schools to prevent tragedies like the one that occurred in Newtown. Among the proposals being floated are allowing teachers to bring guns to class in Oklahoma and arming teachers with assault rifles.
More guns in schools are not going to keep children alive.