6-year-old brings loaded gun to school to ‘shoot zombies,’ South Carolina police say
A 6-year-old boy brought a loaded handgun to a South Carolina school on Feb. 18 because he wanted to “shoot zombies,” police said.
A faculty member at Laurens Elementary School noticed a small gun on the seat of a student’s desk around 7:50 a.m. and notified the resource officer, officials said. The incident was handled without any injuries or a school lockdown, Lt. Scott Franklin from the Laurens Police Department said.
The boy got the handgun from his grandfather’s house, Franklin said during a news conference. The grandfather, Kalim Abdul Alawajid, was later arrested and charged with unlawful conduct toward a child, police said.
There was no direct threat made toward students or police, according to officers. Instead, the boy said that he “wanted to shoot zombies at the school,” according to Detective J.C. Brewington.
“It shows you the mindset of the child,” Brewington said.
Even though the justification of “shooting zombies” sent a small chuckle through the room, police credited the school for its swift action.
Superintendent Ameca Thomas encouraged parents to check their children’s backpacks before they go to school and engage in conversations about firearm safety.
“It is important that parents have an open dialogue with their children about these things, and even at six years old, you would think that was too young, but still, you never know,” Franklin said.
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 7:04 PM with the headline "6-year-old brings loaded gun to school to ‘shoot zombies,’ South Carolina police say."
