GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids police say the parents of a seven year old boy, who brought an unloaded handgun to his elementary school, could face criminal charges.
Investigators and Grand Rapids Public Schools believe the student obtained the weapon from his home, but did not provide additional details at a press conference held Wednesday.
“The investigation is in progress, but we're going to look to things as in is the gun registered? The adult who had the gun, are they legally allowed to have the gun?,” said Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom. “We’ll follow that investigation from there, but certainly will be we will be considering charges against the adult as we have in the past.”
Officials stressed they consider the boy a victim because a young child does not always understand the harmful effects of a gun. He also did not have any bullets or make any threats, so they do not think he intended to use it.
READ MORE: Gun pulled from student at César E. Chávez Elementary School
“Our schools [are] nothing more than a microcosm of our community and what's happening in our community, it’s evident now it's on the doorsteps of our schools,” said Larry Johnson, the chief of staff and executive director of public safety at Grand Rapids Public Schools.
He added, “I want to reiterate, a child brought a gun, but that child brought that gun from a home when adults should have been responsible for securing that weapon. I cry in my personal cry to this community, if we're serious about reducing gun violence, it starts with our youth.”
Last month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill into law, which requires gun owners to store all firearms and ammunition in a locked storage box or container when in a home where someone under the age of 18 lives. The law takes effect in 2024.
If a gun owner fails to properly store a gun and minor obtains it, they could be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by 93 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Should a minor use the firearm to kill or injure themselves or others, the penalty would increase to a felony that carries up to 15 years in prison and a $7,500 fine.
Like Johnson, GRPS Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby stressed that parents and other community members safely store their weapons.
“I am relieved today that no one was hurt, but it terrifies me to know to think about the what ifs, what could have happened,” said Roby. “It should concern every member of our community to think about what will happen if we don't do something about guns in the hands of our children.”
As the district looks into solutions to stop the issue, Johnson and Roby say they want to try and rely on personal connections rather than items like more metal detectors.
“It’s not going to be the hardware that keep our school safe, but it's the heart ware,” said Johnson. “It's the relationships that we build with our students with our families, and how we work with our community. Again, this is not a Grand Rapids Public School problem, this is not a Grand Rapids Police Department, this is a community problem. Our community has to come together to resolve these decisions that our young kids make in this community.”
