7-year-old brings a loaded gun to local elementary school

Sergeant+Tupper+demonstrates+the+gun+that+the+7-year-old+student+took+to+school.+Photo+credit%3A+Jacqueline+Morales

Sergeant Tupper demonstrates the gun that the 7-year-old student took to school. Photo credit: Jacqueline Morales

On Thursday shortly before 11 a.m., Chico Police Department received a call that a 7-year-old child brought a handgun to school.

The incident happened at Parkview Elementary School at 117 East Eight Street. A teacher found the gun in the second grade student’s desk.

The gun was identified as .380 caliber Ruger handgun. Six bullets were loaded in the gun’s magazine, but it was not fired.

According to Chico Police press release, the teacher turned over the gun to a janitor who immediately removed the magazine so that it could not be fired. The gun was then turned over to the Parkview’s Principal who contacted CPD.

“We were able to confirm that there weren’t any threats made to harm any staff members or any other students,” Sgt. Terry Tupper of Chico Police. “This was was not an issue of someone bringing a weapon to school with the intent of harming anyone or even threatening anyone with it as best as we can determine at this point. It was more of a show and tell without the proper knowledge of what they were showing and telling.”

Guns
The two guns were taken by the child. To the right is the toy gun taken to school a day prior to the incident. To the left is the 380 caliber with the bullets that it loaded. Photo credit: Jacqueline Morales

The child obtained the fire gun from his mother’s bedroom where it was kept.

Chico Police will continue to investigate the case. Charges will be filed against the parent.

Incident Commander of the Unified School District David McKay also said that in a case like this a child is likely to be expelled, but nothing is confirmed yet.

Jacqueline Morales can be reached at [email protected] or @jackie_theorion on Twitter.