An Arkansas elementary school suspended a preschool student after the 4-year-old boy brought a handgun onto his school bus, reports KATV.com.
The incident occurred Tuesday. Several students saw the gun in the boy’s backpack during the morning commute, and one of them called the boy’s mother. She met the school bus at the school and retrieved the gun.
“I don’t recall a student having a weapon on campus—especially at that age level,” Superintendent Billy Williams told KATV, adding that in his 43 years, this is the first weapon-related incident he’s experienced. “It was a wake-up call to feel like our society has got to a point that a student would have access [to a weapon] at that age,” he added.
One of the students on the bus claimed the 4-year-old threatened to shoot someone at school, which was still unconfirmed but which is worrying parents. The school notified the public Tuesday evening of the incident via Facebook.
The school added that it is checking all Pre-K students’ bags before they enter the building and that it is looking into adding security cameras at all entrances.
