First-Grader Brings Gun to School, Goes Off in Class

A gun went off at a Montessori school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, after a first-grade student brought it to class Thursday morning. The gun was discharged into the floor of a classroom full of students, according to police.

At about 8:40 a.m., Saint Paul police officers were dispatched to Crossroads Elementary School on a weapons call. When officers arrived, they were informed that a 7-year-old boy brought a .38-caliber revolver to school and the gun was discharged into the floor.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, according to a news release. It appears there were no threats made to students or staff. Police say the student who brought the gun to school and his family are fully cooperating as they work to figure out who the gun belongs to, how the child got a hold of it and what could have been done to prevent the incident.

"Today we got lucky," read a statement from the Saint Paul police, "but this incident should still serve as a powerful reminder to anyone who owns a gun to keep it safe, secure and out of the hands of children."

Image via Lindy Buckley, Flickr, used under Creative Commons