A grandfather has been arrested after his six-year-old grandson took a gun into school because he wanted to “shoot zombies”.
The unnamed grandfather of a student at a South Carolina school has been given a £30,000 bond, and will now appear in court on March 18.
A member of staff from the elementary school found the "small frame gun" on the seat at the student's desk.
Police spokesman Lt Scott Franklin confirmed that the staff member “immediately notified school administration and the school resource officer who then took possession of the firearm”.
He said, during a press conference on Friday: “There was never a threat made toward any other students or staff.”
And the superintendent of Laurens County School District 55 – where the school is located – Ameca Thomas said the situation was dealt with in a “matter of minutes”.
She said: “The process was followed completely by that staff member, which alleviated anything that could have happened that could have caused additional harm.
“We recognize the seriousness of this incident and we're thankful that no physical injuries occurred.
“As always, we ask you to partner with your child's school to help ensure our schools are as safe as possible.
“If you have any concerns, please share them with your child's teacher, principal. or school counsellor."
Law enforcement slammed the pupil's grandfather, stating that he had the “responsibility to secure the weapon”.
In 2020, which is the most recent year of gun violence statistics on record, 45,222 people in America died from gun-related injuries – including murders, suicides, and other forms of gun-related incidents.
According to the Pew Research Centre, around 80% of all murders in the United States in 2020 were gun-related, while around half – 53% – were suicides.
It was also the highest year on record for gun deaths in the US, with around 13.6 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2020 – the highest since the mid-1990s
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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