A first-grader in the Houston area is in a world of trouble after he somehow got his hands on a loaded gun and brought it to school.
According to KRIV in Houston, classes had just barely started for the day at Kruse Elementary School in Pasadena, south of Houston, when a girl came to her teacher with an alarming story.
"This is the youngest child I have ever known of to bring a gun to school," said Renea Ivy, spokesperson for Pasadena ISD.
Ivy says at around 9AM a little girl approached her first grade teacher and reported a classmate with a gun. The educator acted quickly, pulling the boy out of class and securing the weapon until police arrived.
"We are fortunate that gun was not discharged. To think about the alternative is terrible and that's why we are back at the table asking are we doing enough to make sure our students are safe," said Ivy.
The boy admitted bringing the weapon from home without his parents' permission. Pasadena ISD says the parents will be issued a criminal citation for leaving the handgun where the child could reach it.
Sorry, a citation isn't enough. Those parents should have been arrested. There is no excuse whatsoever for allowing a child to get close to a gun. Period, full stop. Hopefully they'll have to appear before a judge at some point, though.
According to KTRK-TV in Houston, this situation could have ended REALLY badly.
The gun was taken by the teacher and given to the principal, then police were called. We're told it was a 9mm handgun. The safety was off and it was loaded.
Why the child brought the gun to school is still not clear.
The only thing certain at this point is that the boy won't be back in the classroom for the rest of the year.
Several parents told KPRC-TV in Houston that they should have been notified right away.
Several parents were dismayed that school officials did not inform them immediately after the incident.
"That's crazy. You know they should have let us know as soon as everything happened. That's our kids, you know," said parent Yessinia Medina.
Pasadena ISD officials tell Local 2, school district officials met immediately after the 9 a.m. incident and thought the best course of action would to call parents with children in the actual classroom where the gun was shown and other parents would be notified by letter.
KPRC obtained a copy of the letter Kruse principal Sandra Buckner sent home with all students yesterday.
Read it here. Hard not to disagree with the parents of the kids whose kids weren't in that class, though. This is something that every parent should have known about as soon as possible, not just that afternoon when their kids came home. Especially considering that the gun could have gone off.
To my mind, this is yet another argument for mandatory liability insurance for guns. After all, in most states you have to have insurance to drive a car. It only makes sense that you should have to buy insurance in order to buy or own a gun.