SPANAWAY, Wash. — This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
An 11-year-old student was arrested after he brought a gun to his middle school in Pierce County on Tuesday.
The 11-year-old was riding the bus to Liberty Ridge Middle School in Spanaway when another student spotted a firearm in his backpack. Campus security detained the student after they found the weapon when he arrived on campus. The firearm was a Sig .380 handgun. There was no magazine with the pistol, just a single loose bullet.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), the student was able to obtain the gun after he located a key to a family member’s safe.
11-year-old being held in juvenile detention center
The 11-year-old boy is being held at Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center after he was arrested.
“In this particular case, the preliminary investigation did determine this 11-year-old knew very well what he was doing and had taken substantial steps to bring this firearm to school,” PCSO Deputy Carly Cappetto told KIRO Newsradio.
The boy was placed in a diversion program, and if he completes it, he will avoid any potential charges.
“We’re going away from the old-school, ‘Hey, let’s meet at a park and battle this out, fist fight this out.’ We don’t see this anymore. It’s more social media threats and then violence with a deadly weapon,” Cappetto shared.
She added that juvenile crime is being seen more frequently.
“We are seeing this more and more, younger and younger. It’s very, very concerning for us and our society, the mental health of where our youths are at right now,” Cappetto said.
Contributing: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio
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