The parents of a third grade student at Lee Hill Elementary School in Fredericksburg, Virginia, have been arrested and charged after a pistol the boy brought to school went off while inside his backpack, according to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office.
No one was hurt during the incident, which happened Monday just before 11 a.m. The classroom was evacuated while police secured the scene.
“It was during snack time, and the child reached into his bookbag to retrieve his snacks and inadvertently pulled the trigger of the weapon,” Maj. Liz Scott with the sheriff’s office told WTOP. “It’s truly remarkable that nobody was physically injured.”
Both 36-year-old Ciara Armstead and 34-year-old Terrence Carroll Jr. were charged with one felony and one misdemeanor related to endangering a child. Their son is not facing any charges.
Scott said gun owners need to take precautions to avoid this kind of situation.
“They should be unloaded, locked and out of the reach of children,” she said.
Both parents posted a $5,000 bond and are expected to appear for arraignment on Friday in Spotsylvania County Juvenile Domestic Court.
Scott said the teacher, who is not being identified, deserves a lot of credit for gathering all 26 students in the classroom and evacuating them to safety.
Counseling is being offered at Lee Hill Elementary to students and parents who wish to talk about the incident.