A handgun inside the backpack of a third grader in Fredericksburg, Virginia, accidentally fired on Monday, prompting authorities to charge the student’s parents.
The student’s teacher evacuated the 26 students in the class after the gun went off. A preliminary investigation indicates that the Lee Hill Elementary School student didn’t intend to use the gun to do harm, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said, and no injuries were reported.
The student found the unsecured gun at home, put it in their bag and caused it to fire when reaching into the backpack for something else, the sheriff’s office said.
The child wasn’t named and isn’t facing any criminal charges, but the student’s parents, Terrence Carroll Jr., 34, and Ciara Armstead, 36, have been arrested and charged in the incident. Mr. Carroll and Ms. Armstead are cooperating with investigators.
The parents each face a felony charge of willfully or negligently causing or permitting the life of a child in their custody to be endangered and a misdemeanor charge of recklessly leaving an unsecured gun so as to endanger a child under the age of 14, the sheriff’s office said.
Both parents were released from custody on a $5,000 bond and are due back in court Friday.
“We are thoroughly investigating this incident in cooperation with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and will be taking action in accordance with our student code of conduct and board policies. We ask that parents and guardians check their child’s backpack each day to make sure they are bringing to school only items that are needed for instruction,” Spotsylvania County Public Schools told WTOP-FM.
