'I'm disappointed': Parent reacts to middle school student bringing gun to school

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A 15-year-old boy was suspected of carrying a loaded pistol in his backpack Thursday at Mabelvale Middle School, according to officials with the Little Rock School District.

Parents were shocked at the discovery telling KATV they had no idea about the incident. One parent said she wasn't aware the incident happened until after she got off work.

Dominique said this is her son's first year as a student at Mabelvale Middle School and this was not the experience she had in mind for him.

"I'm disappointed because anything could've happened, it could've been a tragedy, someone could've got shot, it could've been my child that got hurt," said Dominique.

Dominique was on her way to her son's parent-teacher conference at the school when she got a disturbing voicemail about a student who brought a gun to school.

"They did not call us, they did not contact us, they just put the school on lockdown and did not reach out to any parents," said Dominique. The 15-year-old boy brought the .22 caliber gun to school in his backpack, according to Little Rock police. Officers say he is being charged with possession of a handgun on school property.

Mabelvale Middle School Principal Eric Henderson sent a message to parents around 4:27 p.m. Thursday saying, "...A student reported that another student was in possession of a handgun. We immediately enacted our emergency protocols, placing the school on lockdown while LRPD and LRSD Safety and Security officers conducted an investigation."

Henderson when on to say, "He [the student] will be sanctioned according to the handbook and law. At no time did the student threaten harm to anyone on campus. We are grateful for the quick actions of the alert student who reported the incident, and for the immediate response by our security teams who resolved the matter without incident."

A safety precaution Dominique says parents should have been alerted on this incident sooner.

"Some parents are concerned," Dominique said. "Some of us are concerned about our children's and there well being at the school when they're not in our care," said Dominique.

Dominique said she plans to have a discussion with her son about the incident so he can know how to protect himself. She also said she will call the Mabelvale Middle School administration about how they can better communicate with parents when these incidents happen.