Police Arrest Grandfather for Unlawful Conduct After Grandson Brings His Gun to School to Shoot Zombies

Unlawful Conduct south carolina shoot zombies Laurens Elementary School Laurens Police Department Section 63-5-70 Lt. Scott Franklin Ameca Thomas gun violence school shooting Ethan Crumbley Jennifer and James Crumbley Police Arrest Grandfather

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Feb 22, 05:37 am

South Carolina police arrested grandfather, Kalim Abdul Alawajid, and charged him with unlawful conduct towards a child as he failed to secure and lock his loaded gun, enabling his 6-year-old grandson to bring this to school where he planned to "shoot zombies."

Alawajid, 72, went to his court hearing on Saturday, February 19, where the judge determined that he should not have any bond.

CNN reported that the grandson, who attends Laurens Elementary School, didn't make any threats to his classmates or teachers and staff. The school officials were also able to take care of the matter after discovering the small handgun in the child's seat.

Laurens Police Department spokesperson Lt. Scott Franklin said that a school resource officer was able to secure the gun before any untoward incident took place. On the other hand, Laurens County School District Superintendent Ameca Thomas said that the boy, who has remained unnamed, will have to undergo a disciplinary hearing given the "seriousness of this incident."

Grandfather Should be Responsible for Weapon

According to the police, Alawajid is supposed to ensure that his gun is not accessible to anyone else, especially a minor. If found guilty of breaking Section 63-5-70 of the South Carolina law to protect children, Alawajid could face up to 10 years in prison.

The grandfather has another hearing set for March 18, but it's still unclear if he has hired a private lawyer to represent him in the case.

Reports cited that the gun was seen by a staff member of the school who took swift action by informing the school resource officer. When they asked the boy why he had brought the gun to school, he told the officer that he planned to shoot zombies.

The superintendent said that the family cooperated upon the discovery and worked with the authorities to ensure the safety of everyone. The school official also said that they would continue to work diligently to improve the safety protocols to deter potential school shootings.

Thomas further asked parents to check their children's things regularly before heading to school. If the families have any concerns, they are encouraged to raise these with the teacher, principal, or counselor.

Calls to Mandate Gun Storage

It comes more than three months after the school shooting tragedy in Oxford High School in Michigan that killed four children and injured six others, including a teacher. Reina St. Juliana, the sister of one of the victims, has expressed support for the state legislation that will mandate gun storage.

St. Juliana said this mandate would help stop shooters from having easy access to firearms and curtail more gun violence and school shootings. Michigan school shooter, Ethan Crumble, took his new handgun to school because his parents failed to intervene despite knowing he was in mental distress. His parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter while their son has multiple felony charges, including terrorism.