NORWICH, Conn. — A fourth-grade boy in Norwich brought a knife onto a school bus Tuesday morning which prompted an immediate response from police and school officials.
The Board of Education then sent a message to parents on how to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
"I’m almost about to pull my kid out. It’s not safe," said a Norwich mother.
The mother did not want to show her face on camera but expressed her concerns to FOX61 after she received a letter from the superintendent Tuesday morning.
It started shortly after 8 a.m., a student of John B. Stanton Elementary School was found to have a kitchen knife on the school bus.
Norwich police said another student on the bus saw the knife and notified the school bus driver.
Right away, several officers and a school official responded.
There were three students on the bus at the time and all of them were safe.
"I don’t know if it’s truly the child’s fault. You have to look at the parenting. What’s causing the child to even think about doing that," added the Norwich mother.
Board of Education Chairman Robert Aldi advised parents to check their children's backpacks before sending them off to school.
"It’s concerning. It’s frightening," said Aldi.
Police said it is still unclear why the boy had the knife.
"Why was the student carrying the knife in the first place? What would trigger him or her to use that knife?" added Aldi.
Under state law, police said anyone under 11 years old cannot be arrested and the boy's punishment will ultimately be up to school officials.
This incident, however, reminded Aldi of the teacher who was recently shot in Virginia by her six-year-old student, something they hope to similarly prevent.
"There’s been a serious uptick in school violence. Just look at what happened not too long ago in Virginia. I would think that would’ve been preventable if somebody had talked to that child," added Aldi.
The superintendent did not tell FOX61 how the child will be disciplined but Aldi added he has not been allowed back at the school.
Carmen Chau is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at cchau@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
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