Kids, Please Don't Bring your Guns to School

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Lincoln Elementary School student who brought a loaded weapon this week to his fourth grade classroom in Cudahy could face charges along with his father, the gun's owner, through the Milwaukee County district attorney's office.

Cudahy police Sgt. Randy Scheel said the 58-year-old father could be charged with a misdemeanor offense of leaving or storing a loaded firearm within the reach or easy access of a child. Police expect to present the case to the district attorney's office on Tuesday.

The case of the 10-year-old boy will be sent to juvenile authorities for review of possession of a firearm in a school zone as well as possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 years old, Scheel said.

...Scheel said the father kept his loaded .25-caliber semi automatic handgun in a locked cabinet but the child found the key and brought the gun to school on Wednesday. He showed it to another student, who reported the weapon to a teacher.

School officials found the gun inside the child's desk about 2:25 p.m. There had been no threats made and no one was hurt at the school, 4416 S. Packard Ave.

"It is very unusual," Scheel said. "I can't remember the last time we had a gun inside the school, especially at this age. You think high school or middle school, but not elementary school."

School officials removed the gun from the classroom and detained the student. They alerted police about 2:41 p.m. An officer responded to the scene and took possession of the gun.

School officials did the right thing. It made complete sense for them to call police in this situation.

This highlights how idiotic it was for Principal Pam Pyzyk of Rossman Elementary School in Hartford to have called police because fourth grade student Danielle Christenson had rocks, a hammer, and a screwdriver in her backpack.

She wanted to show her friends the "sparkly things" she finds inside rocks when she breaks them apart.

There is a dramatic difference between what the Cudahy fourth grade boy did and what the Hartford fourth grade girl did.

A kid with a "loaded .25-caliber semi automatic handgun" in his desk is an extremely serious matter.

A child interested in rocks doesn't merit a police response.