Another 6-Year-Old Brings Loaded Gun to School, This Time to Little Creek Elementary School

6-year-old Virginia Letty M. Lopez Little Creek Elementary School Guns in school school violence

By E.Baloyo , Parent Herald Feb 19, 02:27 am

Another 6-year-old boy has brought a gun to his class at Little Creek Elementary School in Norfolk, Virginia.

According to the Norfolk police, the young boy's mother, Letty M. Lopez, 35, has been charged with contributing to a minor's delinquency and allowing children access to loaded firearms.

The arrest comes after the investigation into the incident, which caused concern and sparked outrage among the local community.

6-Year-Old brings gun to Little Creek Elementary School

As per the BBC, on February 16, 2023, at 3:30 P.M., the Norfolk police were called to Little Creek Elementary School, located at 7901 Nancy Drive, after receiving a report that a student had brought a weapon into the school.

The school officials had already confiscated the handgun from a 6-year-old boy, thereby averting potential disastrous outcomes.

Upon the arrival of the police officers, the school staff turned over the handgun to them. The good news was that no one was injured in the school.

However, a mother later complained about the boy's behavior in class. It was alleged that the 6-year-old boy had threatened to shoot her daughter in class.

Wavy reported that the girl is a classmate of the boy who brought the gun. According to the same source, the mother only found out about the incident from another mother late at night.

She could not reach anyone from the school for more information until the following day after school began.

While she received an automated message from the school principal at 5:30 P.M., she was unaware that it occurred in her child's classroom.

The mother expressed her concern and worry, saying that the situation could have been much worse if nobody had come forward to the teacher and reported that the boy had a gun with him.

Little Creek Elementary School's abrupt response

The principal of Little Creek Elementary School, Cheryl Coghlan, informed parents about the incident.

Coghlan revealed that the teacher took swift action to report the matter, following which emergency protocols were activated, including calling the Norfolk police. She urged parents and guardians to talk to their children about the items they bring to school.

As reported by CNN, Norfolk Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Washington confirmed that police arrived at the school after all students had been dismissed for the day and other children had been sent home.

Washington added that the division has been investing in school security measures in recent years.

Following the incident, Washington stated that the school board is considering a budget proposal that includes purchasing weapons detection systems for all schools in the division, hiring 18 additional security officers, creating additional security supervisory positions, and upgrading school security cameras.

Such measures are intended to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future and to enhance the safety of students and staff members in the school.

This incident comes after the national outrage when a 6-year-old boy shot his first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, in Newport News, Virginia.

This is the second incident in which a young boy has brought a gun to school in Virginia. However, the difference in this recent incident is that the student from Little Creek did not shoot anyone.