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Prosser: Elementary school locked down after student is found with gun

June 10th, 2009, incident report by jbtaylor

  • June 2, 2009
  • 0
  • 0
  • 102101 West Foisy Road
  • Prosser
  • Washington
  • 99350

Paula Horton. Tri - City Herald. Pasco, Wash.: Jun 3, 2009. pg. B.3

Copyright 2009 Tri-City Herald All Rights Reserved.

An elementary school near Prosser was briefly locked down Tuesday morning after officials learned a student had brought a gun to school, authorities said.

A 5-year-old special needs kindergartner at Whitstran Elementary had an unloaded .22-caliber handgun in his backpack, said Benton County sheriff's Lt. Joe Lusignan.

He apparently showed the gun to kids on the bus on the way to school, Lusignan said. The other students alerted the bus driver, who then called school officials.

When the bus got to school, the boy was immediately taken to the principal's office until deputies arrived. The school was locked down as a precaution, Lusignan said.

"Because of his age, there are not going to be any charges against him," Lusignan said. "He had no intent to harm. There were no threats made."

Deputies said they weren't sure the 5-year-old even understood the ramifications of what he had done, Lusignan said.

Plus, in Washington state children younger than 8 aren't charged with crimes because state law says they are incapable of committing crime.

The gun belongs to the boy's mother, but Lusignan said he wasn't sure where it was kept in the home or how the student got access to it.

A report about the incident will be forwarded to prosecutors to review for possible charges against the boy's mother, Lusignan said.