Fourth grader to be expelled for having gun

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Friday, Oct. 24, 2003 | 11:25 a.m.

A fourth grade student at Twitchell Elementary School in Henderson will be expelled because he took a loaded handgun out of his backpack on the bus ride home and showed it to another child, school district officials said this morning.

The student had the gun in his backpack during the school day, but apparently did not remove it, said Edward Goldman, superintendent of the Clark County School District's southeast region. The incident happened Oct. 10.

"Fortunately, no one was injured for, which we are all very grateful," Goldman said.

After being shown the weapon, a first grade student told his uncle, who was waiting for the bus, Goldman said. The uncle approached the other child, took the backpack and unloaded the gun. After driving the fourth grader home the uncle called school police and turned over the gun.

"(The uncle) was smart enough to act quickly and possibly prevented serious harm," Goldman said.

School officials would not release the names of anyone involved.

School police cited the fourth grader's mother for having an unlicensed handgun and cited the student for taking the weapon, Goldman said.

Twitchell Principal Susan Smith said she was notified of the bus incident Oct. 12 after police finished their investigation, and the student was suspended the following morning after the required parent-teacher conference.

"(The parents) were supportive of the school, they are distraught and very upset about what happened," Smith said.

Under federal law, the fourth-grader faces expulsion of at least one year, Goldman said. That penalty may be reduced on appeal by the Clark County School Board.

School officials were processing the paperwork to expel the child.

"The student in question will not be returning to this school," Smith said.

The district has alternative schools, for older students but none designed for elementary-age children, Goldman said. If the boy returns to the district after his expulsion, he will likely be assigned to a special disciplinary program and closely monitored, Goldman said.

The number of guns confiscated at Clark County campuses dropped 28 percent between the 2001-02 and the 2002-03 academic years, according to district records. The number of knives found increased 24 percent for the same period. The majority of weapons are found at high schools, police said.

Smith said she is planning to talk to the school's parents about the importance of monitoring what their children bring to campus, as well as keeping dangerous items -- especially weapons -- out of reach.

She decided not to send a letter home to other parents about the incident because "I didn't want to cause unnecessary concern or fears."

Teachers at Twitchell have also incorporated the incident into their lesson plans, reminding students never to touch a weapon if they find one and to immediately tell an adult, Smith said.