L.I. Parents Say They Never Heard About Student Bringing Gun To School

NORTH BABYLON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Parents at a Long Island elementary school were in shock Friday evening, after finding out a student brought a gun to class.

As CBS2's Meg Baker reported, parents said they put the safety of their children in the hands of school officials every day. But they were unaware of the dangerous situation this week at William E. DeLuca Jr. Elementary School in North Babylon.

"That's pretty bad," said a woman named Amanda. "I don't like that at all."

Suffolk County police said a 9-year-old child brought a gun to school on Tuesday.

"Immediately, I would have liked to know," said Christine Gmelch. "I live right across the street. I would have picked my daughter up immediately."

"Terrible -- where are they getting it from?" added Patricia Merek. "It's got to be somewhere in the house, or Not good."

Parents picking up their children up from school were alarmed to hear about the incident three days later -- not from the school district, but from CBS2.

"I didn't know about it," Amanda said. "My little brother goes here; it's really alarming."

Even police were not alerted until a day later on Wednesday, Baker reported, An Airsoft pellet gun – much like a BB gun – was found in the backpack of the fourth grade student.

"This happened on Tuesday? Oh no, I wasn't aware of that, because they usually tell us, stranger danger," said Melissa Mieszerski. "They inform us of other things, you know, when kids are being followed or being approached. They should let us know."

In a statement, the school district said the weapon was "never removed from the backpack, nor used in an aggressive or violent manner."

Students left school Friday with a letter from the principal, but all the parents who spoke to CBS2 said the letter was too late.

In the note, the principal said a classmate spotted the weapon first and reported it to the fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Kresic. The child who brought the weapon was suspended and will face a superintendent's hearing, but no criminal charges.

Police said they unfortunately hear about incidents with guns in school all too often, and remind everyone to lock up all firearms and weapons.