10-Year-Old Found With Gun At Nashville Elementary School

A fourth grader at a Nashville-area elementary school allegedly brought an unloaded gun to school.

According to Metro Nashville Public Schools, a 10-year-old boy brought the 9mm pistol to Tulip Grove Elementary School in Hermitage on Monday (December 6), FOX 17 reports. School officials were notified by another student who said the boy was in possession of the firearm. When a school staff member discovered the gun, the student was removed from his classmates and, "given his age," allowed to leave with a guardian.

The student reportedly found the weapon under a relative's bed and took it without their knowledge, bringing it to the school for the purpose of protection and not for causing harm.

The district said Youth Services officers will send a report to Juvenile Court for review, while the student will also be subject to school board policy and laws regarding weapons on campus. The possibility of criminal charges has not been ruled out and Metro Nashville Police is investigating the incident.

The news outlet reports that an email was sent to parents Monday afternoon to inform them of the incident and encourage them to talk to their children about the importance of keeping schools safe.

"Please discuss this incident with your children and emphasize that it is against the law to bring weapons of any type to school," the message said, in part. "Also, please emphasize the importance of telling you or a staff member if there is a weapon at school. In this way, we are all working together to keep our school safe."

The incident comes one week after a shooting inside a Michigan high school left four teens dead and several others injured. Another student, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, is facing multiple charges including murder, attempted murder and terrorism. His parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, are also facing charges related to the shooting.