Chicago Mom Charged After Son, 8, Takes Gun To School & It Accidentally Goes Off: Report
Charges have been set against a Chicago mother after her child was somehow sent to school with a firearm in his backpack. Because minors are involved names have yet to be released publicly, but it was reported by The Associated Press that an eight-year-old boy went to class at Walt Disney Magnet School on Chicago’s North Side with a gun in his bag. It was reportedly around 10:00 a.m. yesterday (May 17) when the firearm discharged inside of the child’s classroom, striking another student.
A seven-year-old classmate was grazed in the abdomen after a bullet ricocheted off of the floor, but he was treated and reportedly was in good condition when he was transported to the hospital.
“The student said his mother’s boyfriend put the gun in the bag,” police dispatch relayed. “One student has some kind of scrape on his stomach but they don’t know how or where it happened and they did not want an ambulance.”
The child’s grandmother, Edwina Watkins, couldn’t believe what she learned of the incident. “It’s shocking for one for a little kid to have a gun, something that should be hard for an adult to have at a school.. all these things going on at schools. It’s frightening.”
Walt Disney Magnet School Principal Paul Riskus released the following statement to students’ families: “This morning during school hours, a gun was accidentally discharged on school grounds. The gun discharged in a backpack and hit the floor, causing some damage and releasing debris. Our staff immediately intervened, secured the gun, and contacted the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the CPS Office of Safety and Security. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured and everyone is safe. CPD responded to our school…