CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A loaded gun was found in a student’s backpack at a Chesapeake elementary school, school officials and police confirmed.
In a message sent to families of Camelot Elementary School students, Principal Yolanda Vaughn said school administrators found the gun during an unrelated disciplinary investigation on Thursday.
No threat was made towards student or staff, Vaughn wrote.
The Chesapeake Sheriff's Office, which has taken over the investigation, says the gun was discovered in the bag of an 11-year-old student during a disciplinary investigation. They now face charges of having a gun on school property and having a gun under the age of 18.
The principal's message also reminded families of school policy.
"Weapons or look-alikes of any kind are not permitted in our schools or on school grounds, and possession of such items will result in serious consequences," Vaughn wrote.
The incident immediately drew comparisons from WTKR's social media followers to the 2023 incident at Richneck Elementary School, when a 6-year-old student used a gun he took from his mother to shoot his teacher, Abby Zwerner.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking to be honest you because, knowing like what had happened in the past with other school, I believe it was Newport News, that’s not something you would want to hear happening especially with a kid that goes to the school that this happened at," Myron Lawrence, a Camelot Elementary School parent told News 3.
Zwerner, who was shot in the chest and nearly killed, won a lawsuit against the school division last year; the child's mother, Deja Taylor, was convicted of felony child neglect later that year and remains in prison.
“Parents need to be getting charged with this as well because it’s like, that’s reckless endangerment with a firearm, because if you’ve got kids in the house, firearms need to be put up at all times. I have firearms in my house. She’s never even seen a gun. I don’t leave my firearms out for her to even access them at all," Lawrence said.
"Well time for those clear backpacks and metal detectors that NNPS incorporated after the 6 year old shot his teacher," wrote one commenter.
"Well at least they found it. More than you can say for Newport News," wrote another. "Thankful no one was hurt."
"Possible Richneck Elementary all over," read one comment.
Lawrence told Chesapeake reporter Erin Holly that he was upset with Chesapeake Public Schools staff communication to parents about the incident.
“This type of situation, that’s not something that’s email-worthy. You should be calling, sending mass texts, at least shut the school down, let kids go early, because that’s unacceptable," Lawrence said.
The Chesapeake Sheriff's Office is investigating.
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
