GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The investigation into the child who brought an unloaded handgun to school on Wednesday May 3 continues. Officials said yesterday during a press conference that they see the child as a victim but the parents may be charged.
“We’re glad still today, still relieved that this didn’t result in anyone being hurt,” said Hendrix, the executive director of communications and external affairs with GRPS. “But we know that this is a reminder and added awareness to us of the need to be vigilant in maintaining those relationships with our scholars so that things like this don’t escalate.”
Hendrix said the seven-year-old brought the unloaded gun to Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School from home. A classmate learned about it and told a school official, and the gun was found in a locker.
READ MORE: Gun pulled from student at César E. Chávez Elementary School
“Our understanding is we don’t understand there would be some nefarious motive behind this. Our understanding is that this was a kid being an impulsive kid,” Hendrix said. “There was no threat or anything like that behind this as far as we know at this point.”
In April, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer passed safe storage legislation to help keeps guns safe at home.
As for schools, Hendrix said GRPS’ goal is to continue to keep their students as safe a possible, and to reaffirm to their families and loved ones their commitment to that.
“The community can look forward to our plans to having a community conversation,” he said. “We’ll be doing that before the end of the month where we’re going to be bringing in the voices of our families and our scholars to really talk about this issue of school security, and what it looks like today and what it looks like in the future.”
