MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Eight students at Ross Elementary School are in hot water with the law after they were caught passing around a loaded gun.
Memphis police were called to the school just before noon on Wednesday, February 27 after a school officials received a tip that a student was possibly in possession of a gun.
Investigators say a 7-year-old male student brought the gun to school with him to show his friends, and it was passed around among seven other students, all boys between 7-10 years old. When police confiscated the gun, it was in the possession of a 10-year-old student. Nobody was injured.
All eight students involved have been expelled from the school and issued Juvenile Summons for carrying a weapon on school property.
Ross Elementary Principal Evette Smith sent home a letter to parents concerning the incident, assuring that no students were injured and that "school administrators and Memphis Police Department will strictly discipline in accordance with the law and MCS board policy."
Smith also added, "I am asking parents to assist us by checking your child’s belongings each morning to see that dangerous, illegal, and inappropriate items are not brought to school. It is important to note that parents can be held accountable by law if a child is found to be in possession of a firearm."
Memphis City Schools released a statement on the incident which read, in part, "Fortunately, no students or staff were injured. MCS Security, the Memphis Police Department, and Ross Elementary School should be commended for their immediate response. The school security and safety plan at Ross Elementary ensured the safety of students and staff. We are grateful for their efforts."
