5 Year Old Fires Gun at School, Arrested: No Injuries Reported (VIDEO)
A kindergarten student was arrested on Thursday morning in Memphis, Tennessee after firing a gun in his elementary school cafeteria.
The 5-year-old student was waiting in the cafeteria for the first school bell to ring when the firearm was accidentally triggered from the student's backpack. School officials immediately confiscated the backpack according to multiple news outlets. No injuries have been reported.
"Staff immediately took possession of that backpack," Christian Ross, external communication analyst for Shelby County schools, said according to NBC. "Our Shelby County school security team were contacted as well as local law enforcement. They're handling the investigation.
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The incident took place at Westside Elementary School, which serves K-5th grade. The child, whose name was not released, was taken into police custody. It is unclear at this point where the child got the gun and why he decided to bring it to school.
"From what we've heard, there's no evidence of harmful intent," Ross said.
Regardless of intent, "weapons of any kind are prohibited on campuses" the school said in a statement. As a result, the "student will be disciplined in accordance with the state's zero tolerance policy."
School officials assured parents that the matter was under investigation, but that the safety of students would take priority in the case.
"The safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance. Staff is trained to handle emergency situations, and all students were kept safe and calm while this matter was handled," the statement read.
Parents arrived at the school to pick up their children after news of the event spread. Some parents are outraged.
"It's crazy," Barbara Joyion told the local Fox station. "Why would, if they're parents lay a gun around for a baby to get hold to it, it's dangerous."
A second parent suggested that a parent meeting was in order to address future incidents.
"We're gonna have to get together to see what we should do from this moment on because you know what you can do when you're sitting back watching it on the news but when it's happening right in your face, that's a lot," said parent Preston Warmley.
