Student dies after accessing gun in parent’s vehicle outside Concord school: Police

CONCORD, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) – A student died in the hospital after accessing a gun in their parent’s vehicle in the parking lot of a Concord school Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

According to the Concord Police Department, on Tuesday, April 16, officers were called to Valor Preparatory Academy’s Upper School located along Ruben Linker Road NW to help the school’s private security officer with a meeting between a student, their parent, and school administrators.

The Concord Police officer arrived at the school at 12:19 p.m. and the meeting ended around 12:45 p.m. Authorities said following the meeting, the parent and student left the school and walked to their vehicle together.

The parent then went back into the school to retrieve an item. Authorities said during this time, the student accessed a handgun that was inside the vehicle. When the parent returned, the student was suffering from injuries sustained in an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Additional emergency responders were called to the scene at 12:47 p.m. The student was transferred to Atrium Health Cabarrus and later pronounced deceased, police said.

An official from Valor told Queen City News that the school will have “some level of additional counsel” available to students who need it this week. The Upper School holds grades 7-12.

Queen City News has reached out to Concord Police for more information in regards to how the student was able to access the handgun in the vehicle and who the handgun belongs to.

This is a developing story; check back for updates

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