Boy, 8, accused of threatening teacher with loaded gun and giving weapon to classmates to hold

An eight-year-old boy has been arrested after allegedly threatening a teacher with a loaded gun and handing the weapon to other classmates to hold.

The unnamed boy was taken into custody on Monday after brandishing the loaded gun at Fort Mohave Elementary School in western Arizona.

A statement released by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office revealed that the school’s principal was alerted to the situation by another student, who saw the male student handing out the gun to his classmates. At one point, the child allegedly pointed the gun at a teacher.

Authorities revealed that the student was removed from the classroom by school staff shortly after, and that they then interviewed him and his parents.

A second student, who had been given the gun, was also interviewed.

The boy is currently in custody at Mohave County Juvenile Detention Center, where he faces charges of misconduct involving weapons, disorderly conduct, interfering with an educational institution, and threatening/intimidating.

“At this time, we are unable to confirm how the child obtained the weapon,” the sheriff’s office said. “The investigation is ongoing to determine if charges will be filed against the 2nd student for possible involvement in this incident.”

Meanwhile, the superintendent of the Fort Mohave Elementary School, Cole Young, told ABC 15 that the school is working closely with the authorities.

“Following the investigation by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, we now understand more fully the seriousness of this incident,” Cole said. “It reinforces that an event like this can happen anywhere, even in the remote areas of Mohave County.

“Our District’s top priority remains the safety of our students and staff. Because a student immediately reported what they saw, our team was able to secure the situation right away.

“We appreciate the response of the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office and will continue working closely with them to ensure our campuses remain safe places to learn.”

The incident involving the firearm has ignited a debate around felony charges being applied to minors in Arizona, with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne telling Arizona’s Family that penalties should be higher.

“I think it should be a felony to make a threat against a school,” he said.

Meanwhile, Representative Rachel Keshel says that some charges, including disruption of an educational institution, are enforced too aggressively.

However, she did admit that the Fort Mohave incident was severe and could require flexibility in the law.

“If we need to amend the law to ensure a situation like that is handled as a felony, we can,” Keshel told Arizona’s Family. “But many cases are not that.”

The news comes as firearms remain the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Everytown for Gun Safety, a research and campaign group, has found that at least 141 shootings have unfolded at schools across the U.S. this year, resulting in 44 deaths and 129 injuries.

The group also says that three million children in the U.S. are exposed to shootings each year.