A bit disturbing incident regarding possibly a GUN at my sons primary

[QuintessentialShadows]

The children were involved in a spring tidy up, and were picking rubbish in and around the school.

My son was in a group that picked rubbish outside the school perimeter in the woods. My son told me one of the boys found a gun. I asked was it a toy gun, NO. Was it plastic? NO. Was it light or heavy (trying to ascertain if it was indeed plastic)? HEAVY. You sure it was a real gun? "Mum, I know what a real gun looks like!" (Possibly, we have a rifle in the house, it is on display together with my dads trophies for a sport that involves cross country skiing and target shooting.)

Besides, he said, it wasnt loaded. We tried shooting with it, and nothing happened.

I asked if they shoved the Teacher? NO. Did they tell the teacher? NO. Why not? "I think the boy who found it was planning on taking it home secretly."

See, my dilemma is this. If it indeed was a real gun, the teacher and the authorities should be allerted of the found. If it was a toygun, so what if the boy sneaked it home, and telling the school would just put my son in trouble with his friends.

I can see three possibilities:

1. It was a real gun

2. It was a toy gun and the boys were mistaken
3. It was toy gun and the boys pretended it was real for play value and excitement.

But, as a parent, what do I do?

Thoughts please.

[WingsofaAngel]

I think I would contact the school tell them what DS has told you.
They can then decide what to do.
Toy guns can look real I wouldn't want to take the chance of it being real.

[PortAndLemon]

Either tell the school or have a word with the parents of the boy who took it home first (in case it was a toy).

[Twinkie1]

I would report it to the school and the police.

[madcows]

Get on the phone NOW and tell the school and/or the police.

[NoNickname]

I think you need to alert the police.

[zippitippitoes]

i would tell the school

it could be a discarded bb gun

it doesnt matter tho

tell the school and they will deal with it as appropriate

[littlepinkpixie]

Let the police know.

[Mercy]

I would have phoned the school or straight away. Thank god it wasn't loaded.

[annh]

If this is true, I would also be asking the school how a group of boys was outside school grounds in the wood with so little supervision that no adult noticed the excitement over finding and testing this gun?!

[EffiePerine]

Tell the school. They need to know.

[loadsofsmiles]

I would not be happy with my child doing this kind of activity, outside the school perimeter. I hope that they had appropriate geer (thick gloves, litter picking sticks etc.) Besides the gun issue, they could have found needles, broken glass etc etc. They certainly should have been closely supervised. How old is your son? Are you sure he is telling you truth?

Get onto school immediately and ask some questions. If his story is true it needs dealing with straight away. I think you should be more concerned about someone getting injured or killed than worrying about informing on one of your sons friends.

[zippitippitoes]

did you do anything?

[QuintessentialShadows]

I havent really done anything. Yet. I spoke to my cousin, who is a teacher, and she suggested either talking to the teacher, as they are trained in how to approach a situation without revealing the source, or call the parents direct and just explain, without accusing of anything, but just say that my son was a little concerned, and was worried he might take it home rather than showing the teacher as they did not know what to do with it, and had they seen it? Was it really a real gun or just a toy? This would then be a good opportunity to explain the difference between illoyality and concern.

I really am not sure.
But will possibly call school on monday.

[BreeVanDerCampLGJ]

Hope nobody gets hurt between now and Monday.

[QuintessentialShadows]

errrr.... good point Bree. But it was not loaded. THey tried. It said "Klick".

Can I take a 6 year olds word for weather a gun is loaded or not.

Oh My God.

[QuintessentialShadows]

whether. not weather

[LynetteScavo]

If you have the phone number of the boys parents, phone them now!

For all you know, the gun may be with the police, and you can sleep quietly.

We don't know what type of gun it was. Just becauseit went "klick" once, doesn't mean there wern't 5 other bullets in it (although highly unlkiely)

People do not toss guns into bushes for no good reason.

[LynetteScavo]

Should have added.... if it is a realy gun it's likely to have been used in crime, and there for the police should be informed as to when and where it was found.

[PinkChick]

FFS a 6 year old got hold of a gun and fired it..def contact school and childs parents!

[FrannyandZucchini]

I don't understand how you could have just left this
perhaps it is only a small possibility that it is a real loaded gun but while there was that possibility, I don't understand your motivation for keeping quiet

[zippitippitoes]

my guess is it would be a bbgun but as you dont know then best to say something

it was important enough to mention here after all

[FrannyandZucchini]

I think 6 year olds need to know that they SHOULD tell an adult if one of their friends is doing something potentially extremely dangerous like this

I don't think you should be colluding with a bunch of 6 year old boys that 'we don't sneak on our friends no matter what they do'

it's a really bad message to give out

[zippitippitoes]

well exactly franny

i had lots of problems with my ds with guns

in fact he managed to get hold of one and take one to school when he was 9

so it is quite possible that this is a gun

[FrannyandZucchini]

we're adults, surely we aren't scared to get in trouble for 'telling tales'

this could be a gun, in the hands of a 6 year old boy, my god, I can't believe you have hesitated