10-Year-Old To Be Charged In School BB Gun Shooting
FALL RIVER (CBS) - A 10-year old boy is facing charges after bringing a BB gun to school and shooting two classmates.
Police say Monday the student brought the gun to Alfred Letourneau Elementary and was able to discreetly shoot an 11-year old boy in the gym and an 11-year old girl in a hallway.
Neither of the victims was seriously injured, but both refrained from notifying administrators because they were scared.
WBZ-TV's Alana Gomez reports
A classmate finally told administrators at dismissal and the vice principal found the BB gun in the boy's backpack.
"The first thing that crossed my mind was what if it wasn't a BB gun. What if it was a real gun," said Stacey Negley, who said her nephew was one of the victims.
She did not want her nephew to be identified, but he spoke to WBZ-TV about the incident.
"He brought a BB gun into school. He shot me first thing in the morning in the gym," said the boy.
The victim said the boy got very close to him and struck him in the stomach.
"I was scared and it hurt at first," he said.
The school sent letters home to parents and is holding assemblies and parent meetings to address the matter.
Principal Dr. Catarina Da Silva says the most upsetting part is that students were afraid to speak up.
"That students didn't feel comfortable to come to us until the end of the day, that to me is the scariest piece in all this," said Da Silva.
Da Silva said the incident has prompted the school to create a student council headed by the two students who eventually told administrators.
"Use this as an opportunity to empower children to really look at the people who have spoken out as heroes and friends and not snitches," said Da Silva.
The school does not believe the student was targeting anyone but Negley's nephew says the same boy threatened him last year.
"He said 'one day I'm going to bring in a real weapon and kill you,'" said the victim.
The boy who brought the BB gun has been summonsed to juvenile court on delinquent charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a firearm on school grounds.
Police say in this case a BB gun is considered a firearm when it is at a school.
The school suspended him for nine days – the maximum disciplinary action.
