An elementary school student at Williamsburg Christian Academy allegedly showed another student a handgun concealed inside a backpack on Friday, October 16, prompting a joint investigation by two law enforcement agencies. By the time school officials reported the incident, the student believed to have the firearm had already left campus for after-school care in a different county.
The James City County Police Department said officers received a report from the school at about 4:05 p.m. on October 16, according to WTKR. By then, the child believed to be carrying the gun had already been transported to BaePlex, an after-school care facility in York County, before staff at the academy ever reported what had happened.
That timing gap meant the response stretched across jurisdictional lines. James City County police notified the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office, and deputies were sent to BaePlex to track down the student directly, per WAVY.
Deputies Recover the Firearm at the After-School Program
Deputies located the student at BaePlex and confirmed the child did in fact have a firearm, the same WTKR report states.
Both Williamsburg Christian Academy and BaePlex are cooperating fully with the investigation, according to the same report. Investigators are still working to determine how the student obtained the handgun and who owns it, questions that remain open as of this writing.
No Charges Announced, No Ongoing Threat Reported
Officials have not announced whether any charges will be filed in connection with the incident, the WTKR report notes. Police have said there is no known ongoing threat to Williamsburg Christian Academy, BaePlex or the surrounding community.
Virginia law separately makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for anyone to knowingly authorize a child under 12 to use a firearm without adult supervision, according to Virginia Code. State law also bars anyone younger than 18 from knowingly and intentionally possessing or transporting a handgun, per a separate section of the Virginia Code.
The identities of the students involved, the circumstances surrounding how the handgun ended up in a backpack, and whether it was ever fired or displayed to anyone beyond the one classmate all remain unanswered as the investigation continues.
