Article: Data: Guns in school more often than most parents know

Here at Kid Shootings, we see news articles about kids bringing guns to school almost every day.

Here is an article about the problem in Washington state.  According to the article:

Students were expelled or suspended from a Washington state public school 45 times last year for bringing a handgun to class, according to new statewide data on weapons in school.

The guns were found in large and small districts, and rural and urban areas. The problem is nothing new for Washington state, according to the "Weapons In School Report: 2010-11 School Year."

Although state statistics on other weapons — from knives to shotguns — show a downward trend over the past decade, the numbers of handgun incidents have remained steady around 45 to 47 over the past 10 years.

School safety experts warn, however, that these school statistics, and recent incidents including the accidental shooting of a girl in a Bremerton classroom, give school officials just a glimpse of a bigger problem.

Thirteen years after the deadly rampage at Columbine High School in Colorado, guns are still a danger in Washington classrooms, although most are brought to school by children who have no plans to use them, experts say.

"We've had incidents of young children bringing them for show and tell for years," said Ron Stephens, whose Westlake Village, Calif., organization, National School Safety Center, helps school districts across the nation create safety plans, do bullying prevention and train staff.
Children who are caught with any weapon in school are either expelled or suspended, depending on the particular circumstances of the situation.

Here is a link to the report, "Weapons In School Report: 2010-11 School Year."

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.