Students, Ages 9 And 11, Charged After Gun Fired Inside Atlantic City School
By Robin Rieger
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) – Some parents of Oceanside Charter School students in Atlantic City rushed to the school shortly after noon Thursday after learning a gun was fired in the bathroom of a classroom trailer.
Two boys, nine and 11 friends, bussed in from Pleasantville to the school are charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. Police say the nine-year-old brought the gun to school. Police have not said why.
"Knowing he was in school at this time, it's scary,it's very scary," said Dara banks. She came to get her son Jahmir Henry as fast as she could.
"I still wanted to make sure my son was, you know, protected," she said.
Henry is in fourth grade and admits he was scared.
"I was crying because I didn't know what was going on, they kept calling a code blue," said Jahmir Henry.
"Quick explosion in the bathroom, a student said the sink exploded"' said Superintendent Jeanine Middleton who explained what sparked the incident.
She says when staff investigated they found a shell casing in the bathroom and a broken sink. Sgt. Monica McMenamin said the sink was hit by gunfire.
"It's still suspended from the wall but there's pieces that broke off onto the floor," said McMenamin.
Middleton says she spoke with a fourth grade student determined to be in the bathroom when the gun was fired. She says he admitted firing it and in a press release to parents says it was an accident.
"My discussion with him is if there is a gun in the building, if that is what occurred, other children are in danger, you can be the hero by fixing it. Which is why he said where it was. He passed the gun off to another student," said Middleton.
The gun was recovered and it was still loaded, fortunately no one was injured.
Classrooms were locked down briefly.
The boys have been released to the custody of their parents. Police say the investigation continues regarding the charging of any adults.
