Hollister
– Two students at Sunnyslope Elementary School brought and fired
a toy airsoft gun on campus Thursday, and although no one was
injured, the incident created a stir in the wake of deadly school
shootings across the country.
Hollister – Two students at Sunnyslope Elementary School brought and fired a toy airsoft gun on campus Thursday, and although no one was injured, the incident created a stir in the wake of deadly school shootings across the country.
The boys, ages 8 and 10, were suspended until further notice. The boys were first reported to have brought a pellet gun on campus, but school officials have now described the gun as a “toy airsoft gun,” brought onto campus by the 10-year-old. The boys may be expelled, school officials said.
Jesus Romero, Hollister Elementary School District assistant administrator, was unsure how long the boys will be suspended.
“I don’t know the length of time,” Romero said. “But they are going to be recommended for expulsion.”
Last week officials, parents and even news organizations seemed confused about the incident. KSBW Channel 8 first reported on Friday that the students had brought and fired a pellet gun on campus.
Sunnyslope principal Melinda Scott had little to time notify parents because Thursday was a minimum day, ending at 12:45pm, she said. Scott became aware of the incident at 11am, notified school district Superintendent Ronald Crates, spoke with the fifth-grade class of the boy who brought the toy to school and was able to draft a letter to send home with the 10-year-old’s immediate classmates for Thursday.
Scott worked with Crates Friday to draft a letter to be sent to the entire school, thus the delay, she said. One parent said she did not hear about the incident until she saw the Friday evening news. Scott said students were reluctant to report the incident.
“The kids didn’t think it was a big deal because it was a toy,” Scott said.
Scott said students are not allowed to bring any type of toy to school. Although it was a toy gun, the fact that it fires projectiles could have caused a potentially serious injury, Scott said.
San Benito County Sheriff’s Deputy Rich Brown, who is the school resource officer at San Benito High School, said airsoft guns are not in the same category as pellet guns, because airsoft guns do not typically project metal projectiles. However, airsoft guns are not toys either, he said.
“Because they are so realistic they fall in a whole different category, which is simulated or replica,” Brown said.
Airsoft guns are designed to look like real guns. Designers attach orange plugs to the end of airsoft gun barrels to distinguish them from real guns.
“They look like the real deal when you take the orange plugs off them,” Brown said.
One parent cited concern not with the school or boys themselves, but with the boys’ parents.
“It’s not safe for the kids,” said Hector Gomez, parent of a first-grade Sunnyslope student. “I think the parents need to be more responsible for what they’re bringing to school.”
With three deadly school shootings recently, schools across the nation have been on alert.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 637-5566 ext. 335, or [email protected].
