A seven-year-old Cochise County boy has been referred to the juvenile court after bringing two handguns to his elementary school on Monday.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) was dispatched to Cochise Elementary School in the unincorporated rural community of Cochise in the northern part of the county after a school official reported that the student, who is in the second grade, had a gun in his backpack.
According to CCSO spokeswoman Carol Capas, deputies found a handgun as well as ammunition in the backpack. Deputies also located a second firearm the boy brought inside the school, she said.
Capas told Arizona Daily Independent there were no reported threats involving the gun.
“We appreciate the school staff who assisted in controlling this situation immediately and taking the necessary steps to keep others safe,” Capas stated.
The youth’s parents were interviewed as part of the investigation, which resulted in a juvenile court referral for the boy on charges of a possession of a firearm by a minor as well as misconduct with a weapon.
Capas did not disclose the circumstances surrounding when and how the boy came to possess the guns but she stated it is not likely the parents will be charged.
