Shot Fired After 1st-Grader Brings Gun Into St. Paul Classroom
ST. PAUL, Minn.(WCCO) – Shortly after classes started Thursday morning, a gun went off inside a St. Paul elementary school.
Police say it happened after a first-grader brought a .38-caliber revolver to Crossroads Elementary, a year-round school near the intersection of Date Street and Como Avenue.
The 7-year-old child was in a class with about 25 other students from different grade levels.
A school district spokesperson says a teacher and teaching assistant were in the room when the gun discharged into the carpeted floor.
Many parents picked up their kids early after getting a phone call from the school.
"I just wanted to find my son," Crossroads parent Jenna Ballard said.
Principal Celeste Carty issued a statement about the incident, saying she was sorry it happened and thankful no one was hurt.
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When officers arrived at the school, they questioned the child and later talked with the first-grader's family members.
The school district brought in a crisis team to talk with the students who were in the class and anyone who was disturbed by what happened.
A district spokesperson offered few details about the incident but did say it appears the shooting was accidental and the gun was immediately confiscated.
More than 700 students attend Crossroads, but because they are currently on a three-week break, only about half of them were in the building, getting additional instruction.
School district policy states that student can be expelled if they bring weapons to school.
The Ramsey County attorney issued a statement Thursday, reminding parents that if they own a gun, it is not only their responsibility to lock up their weapon, it is the law.