A fourth grade student was charged on two felony counts after allegedly bringing a firearm to school in August, an Arizona prosecutor’s office announced Monday.
The child, 9, has been charged with one count of a minor in possession of a firearm and one count of interference with or disruption of an educational institution, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office said. The student, a minor, was not identified.
The charges stem from an Aug. 25 incident at Legacy Traditional School. Queen Creek Police Department said they responded to the school after reports a student had a firearm, NBC affiliate KPNX reported at the time.
Police said another student had observed a classmate with a bullet the day before, and officers found a gun in the child’s backpack when they responded to the school the next morning, according to KPNX.
Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer declined to press charges against the 9-year-old’s parents, despite recommendations from police, because there was “no reasonable likelihood of conviction.”
“Given the inherent danger involved with a gun being on a school campus, PCAO must take this seriously,” Volkmer said in Monday’s press release.
“However, it is important to appreciate that the juvenile justice system is focused on rehabilitation and correcting behavior and that will be our focus.”
It’s unclear whether the family has retained an attorney. The Pinal County Attorney’s office did not have additional information regarding representation.
