Police say classmates saw pistol

A 10-year-old boy who police say carried a loaded 9 mm handgun into Stringtown Elementary showed the weapon to several friends during class.

But none of the students alerted the teacher, who apparently didn't see the gun, said Bob Yeager, acting Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp. superintendent.

The gun was confiscated Wednesday afternoon on a bus when an assistant saw the boy showing it to another student. The boy, whose name has not been released because he is a juvenile, was charged Thursday with possession of a firearm on school property. He could face an additional charge of criminal recklessness "because of the potential of what could have happened and his inexperience with the weapon," police Lt. Tonya Wiser said.

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Police do not believe the boy intended to harm other students. He told investigators that he was looking for bubble gum Wednesday morning when he instead found the gun. He took the gun to school because he wanted to show it off to friends, Wiser said. "It took a long while to get the whole truth out of the young man and everything because I think he realized the severity of his actions," she said.

Wiser described the boy, a fourth-grader, as "articulate, kind of quiet and shy." He remained in a juvenile detention center Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court today. The boy's parents could face neglect charges, but Wiser said "this is probably something better suited maybe if we got child protective services involved."

The gun belongs to the boy's father. He kept it in a piece of furniture that was above the boy's line of sight, said Wiser, who could not be more specific. "He had to work a little bit to find it," she said.

The boy's mother didn't even know that the gun was in the home. She thought her husband "had gotten rid of it," Wiser said.

Wiser said she did not know where the parents were when the boy found the gun and brought it to school.

Stringtown elementary has around 635 students. The students stay in one classroom the majority of the day. The class the boy was in had about 28 students, Stringtown principal Martin Brown said.

Police interviewed at least six of the students in the boy's class and the teacher, and spoke to many of their parents. Yeager said the students who saw the gun didn't alert an adult for several reasons, but he did not elaborate. "There's no one particular reason," he said. "I don't think they were scared, I mean as if they were threatened. There's no indication of that."

Yeager said school staff spoke to students Thursday about the importance of notifying an adult if they observe something suspicious. "We put that message out all the time," he said.


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Comments » 41

maria writes:

The above survey is duplicative in that it does not give those of us who do not believe either child or parents should be "punished" a choice. Sometimes problems can-should be corrected without punishment. This always must punish attitude is why our jail is full. Obviously conciling is called for. Can not we start tempering our vengeance with a little common sense.

jones writes:

Our former Congressman carried a loaded handgun into Louisville airport and got only a fine. If a 40+-year-old Congressman gets away with nothing when he obviously knew the full consequences of his actions, a 10-year-old student who possibly didn't fully understand the consequences shouldn't get juvenile detention for days.

The student should be punished, but he is only 10.

yamadog writes:

As a concerned parent / Grandparent / Great Grand Parent and CCW holder I would like to know why the father did not take time to show and tell his son how to handle and why to handle a gun. Then gun in and of itself is not dangerous. It is the untrained person who is dangerous. I agree that this child did something really foolish but punishment? Not really my choice. Let the father work with him and show him the results of his mistake and I bet he comes out a better human being in the future. Please keep sanity in all this.

xavier writes:

Perhaps he should write a report on kids who kill.

81VETT writes:

Where are the gun nuts?
Why aren't they crying about the other students not having a pistol?

taterman writes:

81VETT: See my post on yesterday's C&P article.


emiller#80090 writes:

Do they still have "show & tell" days at school?
He probably is somehow related to EPD Officer Mike Sides (DESK JOB)....glad that there weren't any old blind dogs around.

81VETT writes:

Do you advocate arming an entire school to protect from a V Tech murder? If so in my opinion you are a gun nut.

taterman writes:

81Vett: I do not see how your question can be reasonably drawn from my simple comment of yesterday. The short answer to your question is "No". The long answer to your question is outside the scope of this article. Your hyperbolic approach does not aid in addressing the root of this problem.

81VETT writes:

We read for days from some over-the-top gun advocates preach the silliness that I mentioned, didn't you read the same thing? If you aren't one of the nuts then leave it alone, it doesn't apply to you. I am not against guns by any stretch but everytime something like VTech happens they come out of the woodwork with half baked ideas and trying to exploit a tragedy.

taterman writes:

81Vett: No, I have not read the comments of the "over-the-top gun advocates". I am new to this notion of forum. I am only responding to what I have read in forum over the last couple of days regarding this situation. You specifically solicited a response from me with a non-qualified question, or in other words, not giving the background to your question. I responded to the question as posed. Now, how about we both "leave it alone"?

81VETT writes:


Evanspatch writes:

If a "parent" keeps a loaded, unlocked handgun in a home and doesn't face charges when their 4th grader takes it to school then there is no justice in America.

A trigger lock is FREE at any police station.

cat writes:

A question to those that suggest both the child and parents should be "punished" for this situation: Should the students who saw the gun but did not report it to any adults-teachers, be punished as well? This question I ask is to find out what are the limits to who is responsible for allowing this to be an all day "show and tell".

driskell#23992 writes:


dont_like_it_dont_read_it writes:


thebushs5#44189 writes:

As a parent of one the one children who saw the pistol at the end of the day. I have no answer to the question raised by Cat, however, I can tell you why my child did not tell. 1. She knew the little boy and they all where saying "Don't tell you will get him in trouble. At this age getting a friend in trouble is very big in their brains, wrong as it is. 2. She was told by the other kids that someone else had already told, which was found out yesterday was an untruth. I have had to sit back a reevaluate my stance on this because I was the type of parent who has told my child time and time again if you see something like this tell an adult, and really thought they would, so if you are sitting in judgement make sure you know your child better then you think because you might just wake up one morning to one of the most awakening moments of your life,

cat writes:

Thanks for the response thebushs5. Hopefully, lessons will be learned by all involved in this. I agree that peer pressure can make any child go against the teachings of even the best parents-which most of us strive to be.

LAS95 writes:

that saddens me to hear that several kids saw the gun and nobody told because they didn't want to tell on their friend. a true friend would have told a teacher so that nobody could get hurt. (i know that is hard to understand as a 10 year old) thank your lord that nobody did get hurt. this day and age, we have got to communicate better with our children. tell them to do the right thing and tell the teacher.
i ask my child every day on the car ride home how was her day, what happened, how were her friends, what did she learn that day....do you ask your child that...every single day! or are you too busy talking on your cell phone?
guns can not be made as toys. i won't even buy my child a water gun anymore. there are too many other toys on the market to buy than a toy gun for her to play with. thanks to parents that properly teach their children and themselves on the the safety of guns.
i agree with bushs5, if you want to make a difference, get involved with the PTA or other functions in the community. we all want to point fingers and judge but nobody wants to take the time to get off the couch or donate a few nights to really help make a difference.
i understand we all have demanding lifes and we cannot all be on the PTA, but we can get involved in other ways. the simplest, easiest and cheapest way to COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILD ON A DAILY BASIS.
either on the car ride home from school, on the way to a sports practice or at dinner. it is free, doesn't take a long time and is worth more to your child then you will realize.

i just cannot believe that if really around 15 kids saw the gun, not one of them told. that just amazes me and breaks my heart.

Birdie1483 writes:

When I was a kid I knew the difference between my super soaker and a shotgun. Oh to live in the early 90's again when people weren't so scared of every little thing.

(Please don't misinterpret my sarcasm as taking the subject of this article lightly.)

I agree with many of the posters here that education and the lessons learned would be more beneficial than a severe punishment. From the sounds of it, the parents did try to keep the child away from the gun, but learned a lesson for the future. Thankfully nothing bad happened and it will allow all of us to reevaluate how we handle guns and how we teach children about them. Try to look at the good that can come out of this.

sbmurray19#6010 writes:

Why is a 10 year old child still locked up while his father is giving interviews about how the boy got the gun.The boy should have known better,but who is responsible for teaching him right from wrong?As for "guns cannot be made as toys",I grew up playing with toy guns & watching western movies,but I never took a real gun to school or went out shooting people.You think the problem might just be the sad excuse of parenting nowadys?

searay3627 writes:

has the little boy went to his hearing yet, he has probobly already been Traumatized by being away from his paerents , maybe we need to find out who made the decision to place him in juvenile detention and not release him to his parents, what code in the Indiana state law was he charged with?

searay3627 writes:

found the indiana code IC 20-81 IC 31-37 also House Bill 1703 passed 03-03-99 , very interesting

AbsolutelyIncredible writes:

Can't blame them for not registering their guns?? I would think 'smart' would go hand in hand with being 'legal'. If they're not legal, they should lose them.

Well son, this gun is not legally registered and I shouldn't have it, and that's why there's not a lock on it. I'm also going to keep it loaded and where you can actually get a hold of it. I'm doing everything wrong and I'm an adult ... so don't you touch it.

What a fine, fine message to send. A child determines 'right' and 'wrong' from this? Please.

LAS95 writes:

sbmurry-when i was a kid my mom let me ride my bike to the park that she couldn't see or hear from our house. but now, she wouldn't do that in a million years. times change. you were watching western movies because they didn't have video games that shoot and beat up people. just on monday night a 6 year old neigbhor was teasing my daughter and her friend in our front yard. i was working on the landscaping and just kind of listened and watched what was going on. my daughter at 3 told the 6 year old to leave her alone and he wasn't being nice. so you know what he did, he went into another friend's garage and got the "play gun" out and pretended to shoot my daughter. and my daughter comes running up to me in tears and scared. and when i see his parents, i am going to inform them of the situation and hope that they talk to their 6 year old and tell him it is not okay to point a play gun. which is exactly what i told him before i asked him to go back to his house and play.
when my son is old enough to play, there won't be any "toy guns" in his toy box and their won't be a video game that has him shoot other people and is rewarded. parents, don't buy the video games and toy guns. if you don't buy them they won't sell. if your child buys it on his own, watch him/her play the video game...my whole point is that parents need to be involved in their child's life. even if you have to put your foot down and take it away!

LAS95 writes:

thank you cspe653575.

Birdie1483 writes:

I had a toy gun when I was young and knew the difference between it and my father's shotgun. I knew it wasn't real and that real guns could hurt people. My parents instilled a great amount of fear in me if I even went near the real guns. I knew exactly where it was and could actually touch it, but was deathly afraid to do so in fear of the consequences. They didn't keep it loaded and hid the ammunition somewhere and my mom still doesn't know where it is to this day. My parents talked to me about guns and educated me on their safety. I feel that education is better than sheltering.

thebushs5#44189 writes:

I agree with LAS9. However, I do believe that the parents had some responsibility in this. their son is being punished, I believe some of the other children are be punished and the parents are just getting off with, We're sorry. Something is definitely wrong with this. My husband has guns in the house, we are a hunting family, however, guns are one place and bullets another. Also guns are locked in a place that the children can not reach or see. Lock the guns up and situations like these can be avoided.

AbsolutelyIncredible writes:

cspe ... all you could focus on in that scenario was the piece of paper?? Enlightening.

Birdie1483 writes:

cspe, no because they were out of plain view (you wouldn't know they were there unless told) and we were told not to open the door that they were behind. If our friends opened the doors that they were behind, I don't think my parents would let them come over again because they would be snooping in places that were none of their business.

AbsolutelyIncredible writes:

cspe, you continue to focus on the paper. Take the registration out of it if it's so offensive to you, the rest of the scenario ... no lock, loaded, etc., is still disturbing yet you choose not to comment on that.

If registration is is government b/s, then why do you bother registering your car? Take a stand!

donthavetotell writes:

cspe.....aboslutelyincredible is picking a fight with you, can't you see that?

loveforpugs writes:

Doesn't anyone think that maybe this child was taught not to touch his fathers gun, and that maybe he thought he was being cool by bringing it to school? Don't get me wrong I believe the parents should be held accountable and the child should be reprimanded and suspended for a time, but I also think that all of the kids who saw the gun and touched the gun should also have some sort of punishment for not telling.

It's very hard to believe that all of the ones that were involved "thought someone else" was going to tell. I mean come on these are 9 and 10 year olds.

bmichel writes:

Well I thank that it is no one .Kids have A nack of finding things that we hide from then.A gun locked up will not protect the faimly.Some people will make A ant hill in to A large mound.Be glad that no one was hurt.I bet the faimly will find A better place to put ther gun.THE more laws made is one less fredom we have.WE have lost Alot of are fredom all ready.Stop and thank A bout it.

bmichel writes:

There should had one more queston !!!or no one.

jesteravggal writes:

The fact that the Mother didnt even know the gun was in the house tells me there was no communication in the family about the gun or gun safety. If a husband and wife do not communicate between themselves about having a loaded gun in the home then I feel it is safe to say neither of the parents had ever taught the child about the gun.

Opinion writes:

I find this story about the mother not knowing bogus. I mean come on the kid said he was looking for bubble gum. Obviously the kid wouldn't be looking in a far fetch place to find bubble gum so apparently the mother never cleans or her eye sight level must be the same as her 10 year olds. As to not punishing this child, then what you have done with him. He knew it was wrong or why else would he have kept it out of the eyesight of his teacher and other adults at school. He should be punished for his poor choice in taking the gun, both parents should be punished for their lack of concealing a loaded gun, and yes the other students who did not tell on the boy should also be punished. How I do not know but I am sure "time out" is not the answer. To everyone else who is saying don't punish the children what would you have been saying if the gun had accidently gone off and killed your 10 or 9 your old child. I guess you would be saying oh its okay my child is dead no biggie but please don't punish anyone for not telling on the boy or the boy himself, or his parents. After all it is just a life and we all know that in today's society the sanctity of life means nothing. Please help me understand why everyone is looking at this situation so lightly.

onelife16 writes:

Even though kids are taught to run and tell if anything like this were to happon, it is quite believable that the friends didn't tell because they didn't want their friend to get into trouble. Just like the 'stranger, danger" . scenerio where the child still goes with the stranger looking for the lost puppy even though they have been told over and over not to. It is the trusting innocence part of childhood I suppose. Too bad their innocence has been spoiled.

LAS95 writes:

i also don't believe the mother didn't know the gun was in the home, let me take that back, the loaded gun was in the house.
looking for bubble gum? i don't believe that either. he was probably looking in places he shouldn't have and/or the gun was not locked up properly. looking for bubble gum is like saying my dog ate my homework excuse.
how could this boy not know it was wrong? if he thought it was okay, he would have pulled out during class and showed everybody, including his teacher.
those parents should be fined or punished to do community service to better our city. i don't think jail time is the answer for either the child or the parents. how about a gun safety class for the family too.
opinion is right, i doubt people wouldn't be saying to not punish the child if their child's life was taken because this boy didn't know right from wrong on taking a gun to school. parents would be suing the family and/or the school district in a heartbeat.
there is more to this story than what is being told.

jadw2006 writes:

If you go to the police station and ask for a gun lock they are not going to ask you what kind of gun you have or if it is legal. I got 4 at the boat show at an unattended booth. Just go get the damn thing. Some of you people on here should be behind padded walls for your thinking. And another thing some times sh it happens even to you perfect people.

Opinion writes:

This story bothers me the more I think about it. I am not saying the teacher is at blame. But I do not understand how a child can show his classmates a gun and not bring sometype of commotion that would attract the teachers attention. I don't know about you but kids are not usually silent when they are shown something like that and one would have believe that there was some type of disturbance when the child showed off the gun. So my question is if this happened why did that not get the attention of the teacher? As stated before just making an assumption I AM NOT BLAMING THE TEACHER before everyone goes off on me saying that I am. But if this did happen and the teacher chose to irgnore the commosion and go see what was the matter than they are just as liable as the boy, boy's parents and classmates.
