Parents Charged in Spotsylvania School Gun Incident
Early interviews indicate that the student who brought a gun into Lee Hill Elementary School did not intend to harm anyone.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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The parents of a 3rd-grader who brought a handgun into Lee Hill Elementary on Monday are facing felony and misdemeanor charges, the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release today.
Ciara Armstead and Terrence Carroll, Jr. were both charged with the misdemeanor of “recklessly leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm so as to endanger the life or limb of a child under the age of 14” and the felony of “willfully or negligently causing or permitting the life of a child to be endangered.”
They were charged and arrested on Monday evening and released on a $5,000 bond, according to the Sheriff’s Office. They will be arraigned on April 11 in Spotsylvania County Juvenile and Domestic Court.
“The parents of the child cooperated with the investigation. The child involved in the incident is not being charged, following consultation with both Spotsylvania County Juvenile Intake and the Spotsylvania Commonwealth’s Attorney,” the press release states.
A preliminary investigation conducted yesterday concluded that the student found the unsecured handgun in the home, put it in his backpack, and “inadvertently” pulled the trigger while reaching into the backpack to retrieve an item, according to the press release.
The gun discharged at around 10:50 a.m. on Monday. The teacher evacuated all 26 students from the classroom and notified the school resource officer. No students or staff members were harmed, and “early interviews indicate there was no intent to do harm by the student,” the press release states.
“At this point, detectives are in the early stages of the preliminary investigation. We will make you aware of all pertinent facts concerning the incident as we progress,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
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This is the proper enforcement of law: the misdemeanor and felony charges. If found guilty, both will lose their right to keep and bear firearms. They will have shown they are not capable of responsible firearm use and pay the consequences. We don't need more gun control laws.
What we need is more education of both adults and children on safe handling of firearms and the laws that control them. The NRA already has the classes for K-12 and adults; has had them for decades. It's not about "buying gunz", it's about real gun safety. The question is: Why are Brady, Everytown, Moms Demand, Giffords, and all of the supposed "gun safety" organizations not demanding firearm safety education? Because it's not their agenda. The more misuse of firearms, the more gun control they can push and the better for their bottom line.