8-year-old carried a gun to a New York City school, police say

An 8-year-old boy in Brooklyn carried a gun to school on Thursday, according to authorities, who said police officers found it after searching his backpack.

The child attends Public School 158 in the East New York borough and police said he had made threats another student with the gun earlier this week. When police arrived at the school Thursday and searched the boy’s belongings, officers discovered what appeared to be an unloaded Taurus handgun in his bag.

The 8-year-old was not identified by police and several details about his case were not immediately clear. Authorities said no students were injured and the school is expected to send letters to families with information about what happened.

New York City schools have seen a persistent increase in discipline issues. Serious crimes in schools remain at pre-pandemic levels. But a series of violent incidents involving children and teenagers have sparked fears among some parents this year.

Several high school students have been suspended in high-profile cases in recent months. This fall, three students from a Manhattan High School were taken into custody after police said they brought two firearms and an imitation rifle to school.

Some other school districts have struggled with similar problems, and the incidents have sometimes been serious: A six-year-old boy in Virginia brought a gun from his home to school last year and shot his first-grade teacher in their classroom.

In New York City, Department of Education spokeswoman Jenna Lyle said in a statement that “it is extremely concerning for a child so young to have access to such a dangerous weapon.”

“Guns have absolutely no place in the hands of our young people,” Ms Lyle said, adding that all students and staff were safe. “This incident is a deeply worrying example of the consequences of the proliferation of weapons in our society and in our city.”