What’s in the backpack? More firepower than the kindergarten teacher expected

A kindergartner brought a gun in his backpack to his West Palm Beach charter school Thursday, the school principal informed parents via Facebook.

No, the child wasn’t feeling like he needed help standing his ground. It was an accident.

Somerset Academy Lakes Elementary Principal Clint Duvo wrote, “This morning, before classes began, a teacher discovered there was a gun in an early childhood student’s backpack. The student body and staff were never in any danger. Immediately upon discovering the gun, the classroom was secured, students were removed from the area, and authorities were notified.

“It is our understanding that the student did not intend to bring the weapon to school and had no knowledge that there was a gun in the backpack.”

Somerset Academy and nearby sister middle school SLAM Palm Beach, like SLAM middle school at Northwest 12th Avenue and Seventh Street in Miami, are managed by South Miami-based Academica.

This story was originally published March 8, 2018 at 2:03 PM with the headline "What’s in the backpack? More firepower than the kindergarten teacher expected."