Student Brings Gun to School in Texarkana
By: Jade Cunningham
Updated: January 17, 2013
Quite a scare at a Texarkana Middle School after a student brings a gun to school.
At about 3:00 Wednesday afternoon, a College Hill Middle School Student told a faculty member a classmate had shown them a gun.
While the pistol wasn't loaded and was immediately taken from the student, parents are still concerned.
"The first thing that went through my mind was it happened yesterday, and I was wondering why we didn't know about it yesterday."
Paula Whittington got a phone call Thursday, a day after Wednesday's incident.
"It was a recording letting parents know about what happened late yesterday afternoon that a student was seen with a caliber handgun by another student," said Whittington whose daughter is friends with the boy. "I was also told none of the teachers knew about it until today either."
Assistant School Superintendent, Becky Kesler, says everything was handled perfectly.
"It was done swiftly and the student was immediately located and brought into our presence," Kesler said. "We confiscated the gun immediately, and the students stayed in our presence until the police got here."
However that still doesn't ease the mind of Whittington.
"It's a very dangerous situation because you don't know when it's loaded. The person who brought it doesn't even know. All it takes is that one bullet."
And she says it comes down to the parents to make sure their kids stay safe.
"Everything starts at home. If you have to pat down you kid every morning, check their backpack before you let them out of the car, then you're just going to have to do that."
The eleven year old boy said he brought the gun to show a friend. He was arrested and charged with possession of a handgun.
School officials also tell KTAL TV it's state law for any student who brings a gun to school, to be expelled for one calendar year.
If you have anymore information regarding this incident, the Texarkana, Arkansas Police Department encourage you to call 903.798.3154.
At about 3:00 Wednesday afternoon, a College Hill Middle School Student told a faculty member a classmate had shown them a gun.
While the pistol wasn't loaded and was immediately taken from the student, parents are still concerned.
"The first thing that went through my mind was it happened yesterday, and I was wondering why we didn't know about it yesterday."
Paula Whittington got a phone call Thursday, a day after Wednesday's incident.
"It was a recording letting parents know about what happened late yesterday afternoon that a student was seen with a caliber handgun by another student," said Whittington whose daughter is friends with the boy. "I was also told none of the teachers knew about it until today either."
Assistant School Superintendent, Becky Kesler, says everything was handled perfectly.
"It was done swiftly and the student was immediately located and brought into our presence," Kesler said. "We confiscated the gun immediately, and the students stayed in our presence until the police got here."
However that still doesn't ease the mind of Whittington.
"It's a very dangerous situation because you don't know when it's loaded. The person who brought it doesn't even know. All it takes is that one bullet."
And she says it comes down to the parents to make sure their kids stay safe.
"Everything starts at home. If you have to pat down you kid every morning, check their backpack before you let them out of the car, then you're just going to have to do that."
The eleven year old boy said he brought the gun to show a friend. He was arrested and charged with possession of a handgun.
School officials also tell KTAL TV it's state law for any student who brings a gun to school, to be expelled for one calendar year.
If you have anymore information regarding this incident, the Texarkana, Arkansas Police Department encourage you to call 903.798.3154.
