Boy, 6, suspended over gun gesture in Md. elementary school

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Adult demonstrates gun-shooting gesture made by a first-grader who was subsequently suspended from a Silver Spring, Md., elementary school.

/ CBS Baltimore

(CBS) SILVER SPRING, Md. - A gun-shooting gesture made by a first-grader to fellow students - just three days after the Newtown, Conn. school shootings - got the boy suspended from Roscoe Nix Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland, CBS Baltimore reports.

School officials say the boy pretended to shoot three students with his finger on Dec. 17, according to the station.

"I went into my desk and then I got scissors and then I just pretended it was a gun," the 6-year-old told CBS Baltimore.

He was reportedly sent to the office and the school called his parents about the behavior. The school warned he could face suspension if it happened again... and according to school officials, it did, twice.

The final incident involved another first-grader, but both say they were just playing around.

"She did the 'pow' sound and I just went like that. And then I got sent to the office again," the suspended boy told CBS Baltimore.

"They are saying he threatened a student, threatened to shoot a student. He was just playing," the boy's father said.

In a letter to parents, the school called it a serious incident and said a first-grader had threatened to shoot a student just days after the Newtown shootings.

The boy served a one-day suspension. His family appealed the suspension, which would appear on his permanent school record.

CBS Baltimore reports that amid vigorous debate about the disciplinary measure, school officials have decide to erase the suspension from the boy's record.

The family's attorney said the child had no intention to shoot anyone.

A spokesman for the school system said previouslyr that the boy's suspension "was not a kneejerk reaction to a single incident." The spokesman said Friday the district does not comment on discipline issues involving individual students

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by tmdk42173 April 9, 2013 11:51 AM EDT: and who freed the blacks frankie? knuckle dragging republicans. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/house-passes-the-13th-amendment; Reply to this comment


by factsplease37 January 8, 2013 4:25 AM EST: does anyone know why he made the gun gestures, 3 times.?? was he playing cops and robbers, cowboys and Indian, or was he threatening another child? and if so why? I'd like an answer to this before I form an opinion on the actions of the adults.; Reply to this comment


by Mr-Drivel January 7, 2013 6:28 PM EST: Why is this boy still walking the streets? Where are his parents?
The family's attorney said the child had no intention to shoot anyone. OMG He clearly pointed his finger.; Reply to this comment


by rwsmith29456 January 7, 2013 6:09 PM EST: The boy is obviously the evil force that makes people kill each other in this country. There is no telling how many lives they saved by putting him away for a few days.; Reply to this comment


by ugleyme January 7, 2013 6:09 PM EST: Children emulate what they see. Children pretend. Adults who don't get this shouldn't be considered experts at anything involving children.; Reply to this comment

by HM8432 January 7, 2013 2:08 PM EST

Thank goodness none of the other kids pointed-back, it would have been a shoot-out!

Seriously though, it's pretty unbelievable that these same people who have absolutely no common sense or decision-making skills are in charge of educating our children; it's no wonder our public education system has become the laughingstock of the world in the past 40 years.

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by inmaryland1 January 8, 2013 8:08 AM EST: bahaha! Loved this!

by lillyhorton January 7, 2013 12:38 PM EST

Reasonable adults understand the stupidity of this. If we are going to act like this, if this is our future, we need to make it illegal to sell toys in the shape of weapons. Out with Nerf guns. Out with movies and games that use any form of violence. No more idolizing police officers and soldiers. No more football, wrestling, marshal arts. In fact no competing what so ever. We can not induce jealousy which could lead to violence. The moment a 14 month old steals a toy from a classmate who in turn swings an arm in protest we as adults must punish the child for hitting.

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by OldProfessor January 8, 2013 6:43 AM EST: You are not seeing clearly. Get the guns and bombs off of TV entertainment...We are programming kids for serious violence.


by endurorob_5 January 7, 2013 12:32 PM EST: Could the school be more stupid?; Reply to this comment

by alimech42 January 7, 2013 12:24 PM EST

What?Good grief, people! Kids that age don't watch the news or read newspapers. He had no idea about Newtown or Columbine! He was doing what we did 60 years ago...shoot 'bad guys'! My two index fingers have "killed" more cowboys, Indians, robbers and monsters than I could count! (This was before Star Treck, so aliens were low on the list!) It's how kids play...or was. Perhaps not 'politically correct' in the 21st Century, but still what they see on television and movies. We tend to over-analyze everything these days, and yes, perhaps he was being bullied....but that's a far stretch from suspending him! ARRRGGGG!

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by eiddam January 7, 2013 1:42 PM EST: I also remember playing cops and robbers, and cowboys and Indians and none that I grew up with shot anyone in real life.

by pamom2002 January 7, 2013 12:23 PM EST

is this the story that is like a week old? if it is, the school rescinded the suspension and took it off of his permanent record.

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by nawillis January 7, 2013 1:08 PM EST: But even if it was rescinded, IMO it was over-reaction to what sounds like harmless play, and never should have happened.