Gun, ammunition found in second-grader’s desk at Sacramento elementary school
A gun and loaded magazine were found Tuesday in the desk of a second-grade student at a Sacramento elementary school, district officials said in a letter to parents hours after a shooting at a Texas elementary school killed 19 students and two teachers.
The incident occurred at Edward Kemble Elementary in the Sacramento City Unified School District.
“We are grateful that this incident did not result in a tragedy such as those that districts have experienced, including today’s tragic and senseless mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas,” the district wrote in its statement. “This is due in large part to the bravery and awareness of the students who came forward and alerted staff at Kemble today.”
Students reportedly informed staff members that a classmate had brought a weapon to school, the district said. Staff members found a gun “and an accessible loaded magazine” in a student’s desk.
The gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school barricaded himself inside a fourth-grade classroom, officials say.
The gun was given to Sacramento police, who launched an investigation.
The district declined to give the status of the student who reportedly brought the gun. The Sacramento Police Department said it is investigating how the child got access to the firearm.
“Let’s work together and use this incident as a reminder of the importance of ‘See something, say something,’” the district wrote in its letter.
Wednesday’s classes at Edward Kemble proceeded as normal, with Supt. Jorge Aguilar and board member Chinua Rhodes attending drop-off to answer questions from parents, said a district official.
There have been 26 school shootings reported in the United State so far in 2021, according to Education Week, which has tracked school shootings since 2018.
Last year, a total of 34 school shootings were reported, the highest figure Education Week has tracked so far.
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