Pope student expelled after bringing firearm to school

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Jackson-Madison County School System confirmed a 9-year-old student has been expelled for bringing a handgun to school.

According to a JMCSS news release, the incident occurred on Monday after the fourth grade student showed the loaded handgun to a friend during a bathroom break at Pope Elementary.

JMCSS says the student was removed from class, and the student removed the gun from their pocket to give to a school official who asked about the firearm.

“We are grateful to the student who reported this incident to the teacher. The teacher called me immediately. The student at issue was removed from the classroom and the officers responded to our call very quickly,” said Pope Elementary School Principal Tracy Vowell.

According to the release, an initial investigation by the Jackson Police Department determined that the weapon belonged to the 9-year-old’s mother.

“While we are thankful this incident ended without harm to students or faculty, we will take every effort to hold the child and his parents accountable. What happened at Pope School today should not be repeated. We’re reminding all parents to be diligent in both firearm safety and with proper oversight of their children. I am working closely with Judge Christy Little and the Madison County Juvenile Court to hold students and their parents accountable for actions like this,” said Superintendent Dr. Marlon King.

According to JPD, the student is too young to be arrested and was released to the mother and grandmother.

The release says the student is awaiting a juvenile court summons.

“Once again we see the good decisions of one student helping to minimize the poor decisions of another. We appreciate the prompt response of those students, educators, and law enforcement officers who acted to mitigate harm,” King said.

JMCSS confirms a Pope Elementary student has been expelled after bringing a loaded handgun to the school.