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8-Year-Old Brought Loaded Gun Into Brooklyn School
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published May 28, 2016
Modified May 28, 2016
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published May 28, 2016
Modified May 28, 2016
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An 8-year-old boy is accused of bringing a loaded handgun into his elementary school in Brooklyn yesterday. Police say the gun was found in the boy's backpack, and it's unclear how he ended up with it—they suspect he may have brought it in because he was having a dispute with another child.
Teachers at P.S. 91 on Albany Avenue near Maple Street say they discovered the gun after the boy refused to sit on his backpack when instructed to do so. When teachers became suspicious they looked inside and found a loaded seven-shot, .380-caliber pistol wrapped in a black shopping bag.
Police say they're still trying to ascertain how the boy got a hold of the gun. The school sent home letters alerting parents about the incident. "A student was discovered carrying a weapon in his book bag,” the letter read. “We assure you that every precaution was taken and will continue to be taken to ensure the safety of our students and staff."
ABC 7 reports that officials think the child was having a dispute with a classmate, and suspect he may have obtained the gun from his teenage brother. "Talk to your child," Gregory Floyd, president of Teamsters Local 237, told the station. "If your child is having a dispute with another child, there should be something in place in the schools that they can just reconcile these issues without resulting in bringing weapons to school."
This is the sixth time since March that teachers have found a child with a gun at a city school.
Tagged
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Crown Heights
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Rebecca Fishbein
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