US boy, 11, charged after bringing gun to class after massacre

An 11-year-old boy has been charged with possessing a deadly weapon after bringing a gun to school, claiming he was worried about a massacre like Connecticut’s, a schools’ spokesman said on Tuesday.

The boy brought a .22 calibre handgun into class on Monday at the West Kearns Elementary School in the Salt Lake City suburb of Kearns, Utah, and allegedly threatened classmates with it before being reported.

“He is alleging that he brought the weapon to protect himself and his friends from a Connecticut-style incident,” Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley said.

The boy was spotted by schoolmates. They alerted a teacher, who “immediately apprehended and took the student into custody and took him to the principal’s office”, Horsley said.

The gun was found in the boy’s backpack in a classroom. It was not loaded, but the boy did have ammunition, although it was unclear if it was for that type of weapon.

Police were called and he was taken into custody. The boy, who cannot be identified because he is a juvenile, has been charged with possession of a deadly weapon on school property and aggravated assault.

“The aggravated assault charge stems from an allegation that he threatened, or waved the weapon in a threatening manner against three [fellow] students,” said Horsley.