CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — The Charles County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a gun was fired at Billingsley Elementary School Thursday morning.
According to authorities, around 10:24 am, a 9-year-old accidentally fired the weapon during class while reaching into their backpack to get a paper.
The bag was in the student's lap at the time.
A teacher and school resource officer in the area quickly responded to the student and recovered the weapon, a .357 caliber revolver, from the book bag.
No one was injured.
Investigators believe that the weapon may belong to a relative that is visiting the student's family.
We are incredibly thankful and fortunate that no one was injured during today’s incident,” said Sheriff Troy D. Berry. “I want to take this moment to urge all parents and guardians to have a conversation with their students about the very real dangers of handling or bringing any type of weapon to school. These conversations matter. This incident provides an opportunity to reflect on and reinforce the importance of safety and responsibility.”
Authorities say it is unclear who the gun belongs to and why it was in the child's book bag, but investigators are actively working to get answers.
