FORT MILL, S.C. — A mother told Channel 9 an elementary student in Fort Mill threatened her son by sending a photo and video in a group chat of himself holding a gun.
The principal at Springfield Elementary School said the boy might have taken the gun on a school bus going home.
There is no information that has been released about how the student had the gun on him while at school.
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“We can’t even cut off the lights at this point,” said the mother of the victim. “They are scared. They don’t want to leave. They don’t want to do anything.”
The mother, who didn’t want to be identified, said her seven-year-old son was threatened by the student Thursday at the school.
The school administration didn’t become aware of the threat until the end of the day.
The principal sent parents a note informing them of the incident.
It reads, in part, “We received a report that a student may have had a weapon on the bus after school. The district worked with law enforcement to verify the report, and the student responsible will now face disciplinary and possible legal action.”
The parent of the victim who was being bullied thinks the gun owner is to blame.
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“It’s unacceptable, and someone needs to be accountable for all of this mess,” she said. “It’s disgusting and it’s not safe.”
The student allegedly with the gun is believed to be 11 years old.
The school could not say how the student is being punished because of his age.
The mother said she no longer feels safe sending her kids to public schools.
On Sunday, the district said the reports about the incident do not include any information about a student being photographed with a gun on the bus.
“At this time we have not been able to confirm the reports of a weapon being present, however, the individual in questions is facing school discipline and possible legal action based on current information. I cannot share any further details due to privacy laws,” the district shared.
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Below is the full statement sent out to parents:
“Hello Springfield Elementary Parents,
“I am emailing to make you aware of a situation that occurred late yesterday afternoon. We received a report that a student may have had a weapon on the bus after school. The district worked with law enforcement to verify the report, and the student responsible will now face disciplinary and possibly legal action.
“I would like to commend the student that came forward to report this incident and ask that anyone that has information like this in the future report it to school staff as soon as possible. I also want to ask our parents to talk with their students about this type of behavior and the consequences of these actions.”
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