Fort Lauderdale

Student, 10, Brought Gun to Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale

NBC Universal, Inc.

Police are investigating after a 10-year-old student brought a handgun to an elementary school in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday.

Officers responded to Walker Elementary at 1001 Northwest 4th Street just after 8 a.m. after the gun was found in the child's backpack, Fort Lauderdale Police officials said.

The gun wasn't loaded but the school was placed on code yellow as a precaution.

Officers took control of the gun and were investigating the incident.

"The school has returned to code green, operations are normal, and there is no threat to the safety of students or staff," police said in a statement.

Police haven't said how the boy got the gun. Family members of the boy who showed up to the school didn't want to comment.

A police department spokesperson said they were advised by the Broward County State Attorney's Office not to take the child into custody.

In a statement, the state attorney's office said they reached that decision after speaking with detectives and reviewing the circumstances and available evidence.

"Prosecutors agreed that the appropriate response is to make sure that the family gets the help and services they need. They are being referred to the appropriate child protective agencies, rather than criminalizing this 10-year-old child," the statement read. "Our primary concern is the safety of the community. As you know, the gun was not loaded and school authorities handled the matter appropriately when they were notified that the child had brought a gun to school."

It's unclear what disciplinary actions the child may face.

No other information was immediately known.

Contact Us