Kids: Bringing Guns, Even Toy or BB Guns, to School is a Bad Idea

This is a report from Anne Arundel County Police. The incident happened today at Fort Meade Middle in the Western part of the county. But, The Source is posting it as a way to start a family conversation about gun safety, and the responsibility that comes with gun ownership.

With the senseless violence that America has seen in public places, firearms and other weapons brought to school are taken very seriously. This applies to toy guns, BB guns and real guns. Authorities at the school handled this without incident and police were not called in until after the BB gun was recovered from the student.

On September 18, 2012, at approximately 7:50 a.m., an unnamed parent called MacArthur Middle School and spoke with an Assistant Principal about observations he/she saw at a bus stop.  The witness indicated he/she saw a 13-year-old male student with what appeared to be a BB gun in the waist band of the student’s pants.  The witness did not call police with this information, and the witness was specific in identifying the item as a BB gun to school officials. School administrators greeted the bus when it arrived at school and contacted both County Police and their Office of School Security.

All students were immediately removed from the bus and several male students were escorted inside for interviews.  During the course of the investigation, the 13-year-old male student who had the BB gun at the bus stop was identified.  Possession of this type of item on a school bus and/or school property is a violation of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ Code of Student Conduct and was being initially being investigated as an AACPS disciplinary infraction.  The student relinquished the BB gun to school administrators, but during a search of his belongings, a large knife with a blade of approximately seven inches was found in the student’s backpack.  Upon discovering this weapon, the School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to MacArthur Middle School assumed responsibility for a criminal investigation.       

The investigation determined the suspect student discharged the BB gun while at the bus stop, striking another 13-year-old male student in the leg.  This reportedly occurred before the adult witness saw the student with the BB gun.  The victim’s injury was minor in nature and did not require medical treatment.  The 13-year-old male student from Laurel, Maryland was charged on a juvenile citation with possessing a dangerous weapon on school property, 2^nd degree assault and reckless endangerment.  He was later released to his parent/guardian.