Kearns, UT – In order to protect himself from would-be shooters, an 11-year-old boy reportedly brought a gun to school on Monday.
According to The Huffington Post , school officials said the student’s desire to arm himself was fueled by the recent shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut last Friday. Worried that something similar would happen at his school, the little boy tucked a firearm into his backpack before rushing off that morning.
Teachers said the 11-year-old boy brandished the gun during recess. One of the student’s classmates said the boy pointed the gun at her head and threatened to kill her.
“He pulled out a gun and he put it to my head — me and my friend — (and) said he was going to kill us,” sixth grader Isabelle Rios explained. “I told him I was going to tell, but he said, ‘If you tell, I’m going to kill you.’ ”
According to FOX 13 , teachers at West Kearns Elementary School didn’t learn about the incident until later that afternoon. Granite School District officials said the boy was immediately approached when staff learned he was carrying a gun.
“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,” district spokesperson Ben Horsley explained.
The Daily Mail explains it was the boy’s parents who suggested he take the .22 caliber firearm to school for protection.
Some parents felt West Kearns Elementary’s response to the incident wasn’t quick enough. In fact, some parents decided to keep their children home on Tuesday.
“This is not acceptable form of letting parents know the potential violence that could have happened. Perhaps a knee jerk reaction on my end, but I’m pulling my two kids from school until after the holidays,” one mother wrote in a letter to the school.
Utah school officials said the 11-year-old boy has been suspended for bringing the gun to school. Criminal charges could be filed against the student and his parents.
