SEGUIN, Texas — An elementary school student discharged a loaded weapon on a school bus in Seguin ISD Tuesday morning.
The district was notified Tuesday morning around 7:25 a.m. that the weapon was fired by a student on a bus entering the Jefferson Elementary School parking lot. While there were 37 children on the bus on that time, no one was injured during the incident.
"One of them could of got hurt. It is seriously scary it really is," Mother Jazmine Perez said. "It could have been my kid or someone else's kids."
Perez's child was, in fact, on the bus but wash much further towards the back. The child said the shot was fired in the first few rows.
The bus driver was able to recover the handgun from the student and immediately contacted the Seguin Police Department (SPD). In an afternoon update with news media, officials said the gun was a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun.
Seguin Police Chief Jason Brady said the bullet was fired into the back of a seat but the seat has a steel plate that prevented the bullet from going though it.
SPD was still on the scene at Jefferson as they continued their investigation.
Initial reports from the school district show the young student did not threaten anyone with the weapon and will not be on campus during the investigation. Officials later said the child fired one round in the front of the bus, which went through the back of a seat and was halted by a steel barrier under the upholstery.
"This is still a very serious situation, and a significant breach of our school safety protocols," said Sean Hoffmann, Seguin ISD chief communications officer. "The student remains off campus while the investigation continues."
The bus had 37 students from three different schools, including Jefferson, Koennecke and Ball elementary, at the time of the incident. Seguin ISD contacted parents of the students onboard the bus to inform them about the morning incident.
The district also said they will have professional school counselors available for any student or family in need of assistance.
"Possessing and discharging a firearm on school property violates state and federal law, as well as our Student Code of Conduct," said Hoffmann. "Student and staff safety remains our top priority in Seguin ISD. Parents are urged to ensure that students are prepared and in compliance each school day. Students should report any unsafe activity to a teacher, bus driver or school administrator."
Chief Brady said the student won't face charges but the parents could. Whoever owns the gun and made it accessible to the child might also face charges for endangering a child.
"It could range from a Class C Misdemeanor to a State Jail felony, and perhaps something else. It will depend on what facts we discover." Brady said.
Police did not elaborate on the student's age or the grade they are in.
Perez said she wanted the school district to require clear backpacks for all students to prevent this from happening in the future. Seguin ISD already requires clear backpacks for middle school and high school students. At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Seguin ISD Superintendent Dr. Matthew Gutierrez said the district could end up changing the policy for elementary schools.
"We had eliminated that requirement at elementary (campuses) when we first made that decision, but I think it is something that we are going to strongly consider going forward," Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez also pleaded with local parents to make sure they are locking up their guns in the future, as the situation could have ended much differently.
"It is so important to ensure gun safety in your home because not only are you jeopardizing the safety of your child but potentially the safety of dozens if not hundreds of others," Gutierrez said.
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