Security Heightened, Parents Worried After Kindergartener Brings Gun To Elementary School
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Several Pittsburgh Bureau of Police patrol cars sat in front of Faison Elementary Tuesday morning as students walked through the metal detector for the first time and had their bags checked by school officials.
The heightened security measures come after a student in kindergarten brought a loaded gun to school in his backpack on Monday, according to police. The little boy did not remove the gun from his backpack and kept the backpack in his locker all day long, but mentioned it to another student on the bus ride home.
Police said that student told the bus driver who then alerted police.
"I just told him not to be scared, said Angeline Swanger, mother of four. "I did say you're going to have to get checked, and there's going to be metal detectors, and I kind of just explained to him, but it really didn't sink in until he walked up."
Swanger said her twins are in kindergarten and she said it seems like they're "walking in a jail now instead of a school."
KDKA reached out to Pittsburgh Public Schools for an update on the investigation and asked about possible criminal charges against the student's guardians. We were told "no further information is available."
Parents hope to find out more in the coming days.
"It was crazy. My kids felt scared going to the school now," said Swanger. "I could tell by looking at my 6-year-old; he was scared."
KDKA watched as at least one mother decided to pull her kids from class for the day after spotting all of the police cars and hearing about Monday's incident.
"My kids can't even be safe in school today!" she yelled.
KDKA also reached out to Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for an update on the investigation, but learned that Pittsburgh Public Schools is handling the investigation.
