St. Paul, MN – A handgun brought to school by a seven-year-old accidentally fired in a Minnesota classroom Thursday.
The Pioneer Press reports the .38-caliber revolver was brought by the student to Crossroads Elementary. The school district says the gun discharged into the floor at 8:40 a.m. in a mixed-grades classroom. Police state no one was hurt.
St. Paul police say investigators are looking into the incident, saying, “It appears there were no threats made to students or staff. The student who brought the gun to school and his family are fully cooperating as we work to figure out who the gun belongs to, how the child got ahold of it and what could have been done to prevent the incident.” Further details have yet to be released.
“Responsible gun owners make sure that their guns are not accessible to unauthorized persons — and that certainly includes children” says Andrew Rothman, President of the Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance, a Minnesota-based gun rights advocacy group. Rothman goes on to say, “Parents have an obligation to keep dangerous items, such as cleaning chemicals, power tools, and firearms, safely away from children until they show the maturity necessary to have access.”
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi released a statement reminding the public about the importance of keeping firearms out of reach of children, and that free gun locks are available at community locations, which are listed at www.ramseycounty/gunsafety.com.
Information about proper firearm storage can be found on the Minnesota Safety Council’s website.
