MT- Student cited for turning gun in at school

Chipperman · Jun 2, 2004

http://www.havredailynews.com/articles/2004/06/01/local_headlines/student.txt

Elementary student cited for bringing a nonworking gun to school

By Tim Leeds/Havre Daily News/[email protected]

A grade school student was cited after bringing a firearm to school on Friday, Havre police said today.

Havre Public Schools Superintendent Kirk Miller said a 11-year-old student brought an unloaded .22-caliber pistol to Sunnyside Intermediate School with the intent to turn it over to school authorities. The child immediately took the weapon to the school principal, Miller said. The gun was missing a part and could not be fired, he added.

Havre police responded at 8:51 a.m.. and took the juvenile to the police station for questioning. He was issued a summons on a charge of possessing a weapon in a school building, police said.

Havre Police Chief Mike Barthel said police are investigating the child's story about how he came into possession of the firearm.

He said the child should have taken the gun to the police station to turn it in.

Miller said he didn't want to comment on how the child came into possession of the gun because he has not confirmed the information he has.

"And he was scared," Miller said of the child. "He came into possession of this weapon and had been stewing about it."

The child will not attend the last two days of school - the school year ends Wednesday - for his own protection and at the request of his parent, Miller said.

He said the district's policy is to gain possession as quickly as possible of any weapon brought onto school property, which is what happened Friday. School employees detained the child and immediately contacted the police after the child took the gun to the principal, Miller said.

District personnel then discussed what had happened with staff members at the school and with students who were aware of what had happened, Miller said.

Policy allows expulsion of a student for up to a year for bringing a firearm onto school property, Miller said, but that is generally when the student intends to harm others. The student in Friday's incident will not expelled.

Miller said the district has no record of a firearm being brought onto a school campus before this.

Amish_Bill · Jun 2, 2004

An elementary school student is supposed to find his way to a police station on his own, when supposedly 'responsible' adults are right there in the school office? If it was found in a locker or seen in the hall, OK.

This kid went to the office to turn it in. I'm actually half surprised they didn't cite Zero Tolerance and execute him on the spot!

What a grand way to teach a kid that hiding things from those in authority is in their best interest.

Chipperman · Jun 2, 2004

This happened in Montana of all places. :banghead:

Let's teach our children to fear and mistrust all authority figures. The way our country seems to be going, tha might not be a bad idea. :barf:

buy guns · Jun 2, 2004

An elementary school student is supposed to find his way to a police station on his own, when supposedly 'responsible' adults are right there in the school office?

yeah i know, this kid is 11 years old. how is he supposed to get to a police station let alone even know where it is? my sister is 15 and even she doesnt know where the police station is

.

Baba Louie · Jun 2, 2004

Sad but probably true living in today's America.
Imagining this happening to a little 11 Year old Baba Louie way back in 1966, he'd probably have played hooky that day, run home with it to show his Pa, who would've called his friend on the local popo force, who probably would have come by the house and said nice things to the little feller for finding it and asking where and when he found it and if it was determined that it wasn't reported stolen would have more than likely let little Baba and his Pa keep it knowing that Baba's Pa was going to make the missing piece in his machine shop and they could all take it out and shoot it together someday soon like good friends do, er, did... way back then in America.
What was the title of Jeff Cooper's book Another Country or something?
Who HAVE we become and WHY do we let this kind of nonsense happen?
Somebody better PRAISE THAT YOUNGSTER for doing the RIGHT THING or A RIGHT THING at least (less'n of course he did something illegal and stupid worse than telling the only other grownups he knew who happened to be teachers or Principals at his school).
But then again, way back then, on the last day of grade school we used to have water pistol fights on the playgorund... probably have to lock down the whole town if that was tried nowadays.

Standing Wolf · Jun 2, 2004

At that age, I'd have kept the gun and tried to figure out how to make it workâ€”and wouldn't have ended up in police custody for my trouble.

rock jock · Jun 3, 2004

This kid should have listened to Eddie Eagle - "Stop, Don't touch, Leave the area, Tell an adult."

NHBB · Jun 3, 2004

thats how it is these days I guess...

even the administrator admits he was flustered as to what to do about the situation, and turns him over to the police... fantastic.

god bless america.

Treylis · Jun 3, 2004

Repugnant.

Has to miss the last two days of school "for his own protection"? Protection from what?

SapperLeader · Jun 3, 2004

This zero tolerance stuff is leaping past the ridiculous stage with vigor. The kid tried to do the right thing, so he was turned over to the police. Bringing in a found gun might not have been a smart thing for a 11 year old to do, but it was a moral thing to do. What really gets me is missing two days of school for his own protection! Whats that all about!

mete · Jun 3, 2004

One more example of how this country has become ruled by hysteria.Logic and reason no longer exist.

DragonFire · Jun 3, 2004

Miller said the district has no record of a firearm being brought onto a school campus before this.

This will make sure they don't get anymore records. Guns maybe, just not records of them.

If this was my kid, I'd be asking some hard questions of the school staff why my kid was turned over to the police, and there's no way they'd keep him out of school for doing the right thing. And I'd find out real quick who they thought he'd need protection from!

But you know, if you read this slightly differently, could it be the press that are putting the kid and the whole story in a negative light? What else should the principle do but call the police? What else would the police do but ask the boy where he got the gun, and then check his story? And the school didn't just expell him.

I distrust the media so much these days. They report the news so react the way they want us to. Nothing objective about them.

Zundfolge · Jun 3, 2004

Miller said the district has no record of a firearm being brought onto a school campus before this.

Except for all those years there was a school rifle team and shooting club, and back before hopolophobia gripped our nation when during hunting season most of the male students brought their rifles to school since they went hunting that morning.

So here's the sad part:

Principal: So Bobby, what have we learned?

Bobby: Don't trust authority figures ... they don't care about right or wrong they just want to stick it to everyone!

RustyHammer · Jun 3, 2004

This is just wrong on so many levels.

:banghead:

Goet · Jun 3, 2004

Here's the truly sad part.

The school and the principal are just following SOP.

They are more than likely required to report the firearm, and just as likely required to automatically expel the student.

These rules were put into place because of public pressure, fear of lawsuits from the community and the bad press schools get when their students get shot up.

Schools are a reflection of society. It isn't like this is some kind of anomoly.

Look around!

WE the people have caused this.

Ex-MA Hole · Jun 3, 2004

WE the people have caused this.

Yes, yes we have. This reminds me to spill hot coffee on myself and sue for the hot coffee burning me. The kid turned the flippin' thing in!

Man. That reminds me of the quote that I have grown to love (and STRONLY beleive in)- "The more people I meet, the more I love my Dog".

That sums it up. Although, the kid did touch the gun...what if there was an AD? Hmmm..................

SteveS · Jun 3, 2004

They are more than likely required to report the firearm, and just as likely required to automatically expel the student.

True, here in MI, we have our wonderful legislature to thank for the zero-tolerance laws that expel students for bringing nail clippers to school.

After reading the story, I don't see what the bg deal is. The school contacted the police and they handled it from there. He wasn't expelled and it didn't sound like he would be. He didn't attend the last 2 days of school for his "own protection." I am not sure what this means, but it could be that the the gun belonged to another kid that isn't too happy about being told on. It also said that his parents requested that he not be in school.

He was issued a summons on a charge of possessing a weapon in a school building, police said.

This is the police over reacting, not the school. OTOH, maybe there is more to this story than was reported, though the media seldom ever misreports anything.

2nd Amendment · Jun 3, 2004

And private schools keep growing while the government camps wonder why. About the only way to end this sort of thing, now that such stupid legislation is in place, is to break the schools themselves by simply removing the majority of the best students.

SteveS · Jun 3, 2004

About the only way to end this sort of thing, now that such stupid legislation is in place, is to break the schools themselves by simply removing the majority of the best students.

Or we could go to the source of the problem and vote out the moronic legislators that pass stupid laws.

akviper · Jun 3, 2004

Times have changed. In the 1960's I went to an elementary school not far from Havre. Several of us would hunt cottontails on the way home. At age 11, I would board the school bus with my unloaded .22 and give it to the principal when I got to school. I would get the gun after school and walk home. The principal's office often had two or three rifles stacked in the corner. We all felt pretty safe.

Chipperman · Jun 3, 2004

Medications are a "problem" in schools now also. I had horrible hay fever when I was a kid. I used to keep a plastic baggie full of Dristan in my pocket.

That would get me expelled nowadays.

I never brought a gun to school as a kid, but I brought knives all the time. It was no big deal.

general · Jun 3, 2004

two or three rifles stacked in the corner. We all felt pretty safe.

Now there is a campaign slogan....
"A rifle in every corner."
I'd feel pretty safe too.

Jake · Jun 3, 2004

"two or three rifles stacked in the corner. We all felt pretty safe."

Two or three? Growing up in semi-rural Penn twenty years ago I can remember that every year at the start of the different hunting seasons the front office at school always looked like a arms room.

Black Majik · Jun 3, 2004

Wow...

If that happened to me at that age, I'd have a problem with authority figures later on in life because I wouldn't be able to trust them! Not like I completely do currently anyways but whatever...

Little Loudmouth · Jun 3, 2004

Gaah. There are no words to describe something as idiotic as this.... :banghead: :banghead: :barf:

MT- Student cited for turning gun in at school

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