First-Grader May Face Expulsion For Bringing Air Gun To School

OUTSIDE CLEVELAND, OH -- A 6-year-old boy has been suspended for 10 days and may face expulsion after he brought an airsoft gun to his elementary school on Friday.

The boy told Avon Police that he brought it to Avon East Elementary School because another student had threatened him.

The boy never brandished the gun at school. However, he and a friend did show it to the student who had threatened them while at a bus stop before school, according to the police report.

When school officials heard about the airsoft gun later that day, they called the boy to the principal's office, confiscated the gun and called police.

The gun did not resemble a real firearm and had a single pellet in its magazine, according to the police report.

Avon East Principal Sherry Szczepanski said the boy had just thought of the gun as "a toy," but he was suspended as part of the district's zero-tolerance policy.

The superintendent will ultimately decide if the boy will be expelled.

"All kids need to understand that this sort of thing has absolutely no place at school," Szczepanski said.

The principal also said that the boy who brought the airsoft gun to school had never been in trouble before.

"He's a good boy who made a poor decision," she said. "My heart goes out to him."

Szczepanski said that not only students but parents and guardians could learn from this situation.

"They need to be aware of what is in their child's backpack," she said.

Avon Police chose not to file charges against the boy or the student who threatened him. They decided that the children's parents and the school could address the situation.