Parents are being encouraged to keep weapons out of the reach of children after a first-grader recently brought a gun to an elementary school in Shreveport.

Caddo School officials said “This week a student brought a handgun onto the campus of their elementary school. The handgun was not loaded and kept inside the student’s backpack. Another student saw it in the backpack and brought it to the attention of the teacher who then alerted administration and the School Resource Officer on duty. The SRO filed an official police report and it was learned that the weapon belonged to the child’s parent. There was no intent for it to be used for harm, however, there are still serious consequences when actions such as this take place. The student will be disciplined by following district policy. Furthermore, we encourage parents to keep weapons out of reach of children and to have a discussion about the potential dangers involved. Caddo Schools will continue to put safety first to provide the learning environment every child deserves.”