*CORRECTION: The boy is actually only 7 years old. Mesa police had initially told us the boy was 8.
How does an 8-year-old manage to get a loaded handgun on a school bus full of children? Well, just ask the 8-year-old who brought a loaded handgun on a school bus full of children, because that actually happened this afternoon.
As shocking as it may seem that a child could get a loaded gun on a school bus, what's more shocking is that nobody was hurt when it went off, which also happened this afternoon.
According to Mesa police, an 8-year-old student at Franklin Elementary School -- near Power and Adobe roads in east Mesa -- brought a loaded handgun to school today.
The gun, which was in his backpack, discharged at about 2:20 this
afternoon, while the kid was on the bus heading home. The bullet, police presume, lodged in the floor or seat of
the bus.
When the gun went off, Mesa Detective Steve Berry says, there were 30 kids on the bus.
Berry says the boy was "manipulating" the gun in his backpack when it fired. It's unclear if he intentionally fired the shot.
It's also unclear where the boy got the gun -- Berry says he's currently in
police custody and detectives are investigating the shooting.
However, we'll go ahead and assume he didn't buy it at a gun store -- ya
know, being 8 years old, and all (although, this is Arizona -- the
"Colt Single-Action Army Revolver State" -- so who knows).
Check back for updates.
