AVON, Ind. — A central Indiana school district is investigating after officials say a fifth grader brought a gun to school on Monday, Aug. 26.
District officials say a student reported the situation to a teacher, and police found the gun in the student’s locker at Avon Intermediate School East.
According to officials, the gun wasn’t loaded, and the student never used it to threaten anyone; however, the school says the student had ammunition in the backpack.
If the school district knows why the student brought the gun to school, they’re not saying.
They found the gun just as the school day was starting, after a student saw a fifth grader with the gun on a school bus.
That student told a friend once they got into school, and that friend told a teacher, who alerted the school administration.
“They discovered the handgun in the backpack, locked inside the child’s locker and, of course, immediately contacted Avon Schools Police, who came over and helped assess the situation and removed the students involved from classrooms so they could get more information,” school district spokesperson Kevin Carr said.
The district will only say the student was in fifth grade and that the school called the child’s parent, who came to school and picked them up.
“The parent didn’t know their child was coming to school with a weapon. They thought they had it secured, and they’ll be taking steps to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” Carr said.
This isn’t the first time an Avon student has brought a gun to school.
The district says it expelled a high school student in 2023, barring him from school property after he brought a gun to the Avon Academy at the administration building.
There's no word on what punishment the fifth grader – or parents – could face, but school policy says bringing a gun to school can lead to a student being suspended for 10 days and expulsion for at least one calendar year.
According to that policy, the superintendent can reduce the length of that expulsion if circumstances warrant it.
Officials said the Hendricks County prosecutor is also looking at the case.
At a time when students are growing up with active shooter drills in their schools, the district says they’re glad students feel empowered to report a problem like a gun at school when they see it.
“We belong to one another, and we need to have one another’s best interests in mind and in heart, and so if you see something concerning, report it immediately. This is the best way to make sure nothing tragic occurs on our watch,” Carr said.
The district used a messaging system to notify staff and parents about the incident.