Yavapai County 5th grader brings bb gun to school

On May 8, 2013, at 3 PM, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the area of Henderson Road in Dewey, Arizona. The nature of the call involved an 11-year-old school student in possession of a handgun on a school bus. A fellow student, who had seen the gun displayed, told his dad who in turn called YCSO.

Deputies could not immediately locate the bus and requested the school bus dispatcher contact the driver to determine its whereabouts. As a result of this communication, the bus was located at the Dollar Store parking lot in Mayer.

Deputies, assisted by DPS officers, arrived and found the suspect on the bus. Inside the suspect’s backpack was an “Air Soft” bb gun that replicated an actual firearm by look and feel. The suspect told deputies he mistakenly left the gun in his backpack after playing with it over the weekend. While riding the bus this afternoon, he discovered gun in his backpack and told a fellow student he would show him the gun if the student would not tell anyone. The suspect then displayed the weapon and told his fellow student he carried it “for protection”. The student thought the weapon was real and told his father.

The suspect was charged with Interference/Disruption of an Education Institution and released to a Children’s Protective Services caseworker for follow-up. The suspect is a 5th grader attending school in Prescott Valley.