An 8-year-old was called a hero after alerting authorities about a classmate who had brought a gun to school, possibly preventing a school shooting on Oct. 24, according to multiple reports.
Blake Johnson was a third-grader at Hudson Elementary School, and according to the Washington Examiner, went to the bathroom and came across three other students in the bathroom. One of the boys, who had been carrying a backpack at the time, told Johnson that he was in possession of a gun, to which Johnson then asked to see it, according to Fox News.
“I just said, ‘What’s in the bag?’ And then the kid responds and said, ‘It’s a gun.’ And then I said, ‘Can I see it?’ And he pulled it out,” said Johnson, according to Fox news.
The boy with the gun pulled out a 9 mm from his backpack, and proceeded to point the weapon at the wall, and told Johnson that he would kill Johnson if he told anyone, the eight-year-old said, according to Fox News.
Though scared, Johnson alerted a security guard from the school after the boys left the washroom, according to the outlet.
“I told the security officer that kid had a gun and then I told which backpack and the kid,” Johnson said, according to the news outlet.
After the authorities were called, they located the boy and backpack. The weapon was recovered, according to Chris Beaman, the captain at the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Washington Examiner reported. According to Beaman, the gun was loaded when found.
“It frustrates me as a law enforcement officer who started this profession to protect, to even think of a possibility of what could have happened,” Beaman said, according to the Washington Examiner.
According to Fox News, the student who brought the gun to school would likely be suspended from school for 10 days, and in addition, may also face expulsion for his actions. The news outlet reported that the student might also face possible criminal charges for bringing the gun to school.
Johnson said that he was called a hero by the authorities, and his mother, Laynie, said that she was proud of him, according to the Washington Examiner. She said that she didn’t know what had happened until the school sent out a newsletter detailing the incident. Johnson also told his mother what happened when he went home on that day.
“I’m happy he knows what to do and I’m happy that he was brave enough to do it. I’m very proud,” Johnson’s mother said, according to the Washington Examiner.
