A 7-year-old Maryland boy was injured Wednesday morning when a firearm he brought to school went off inside his classroom.
The incident occurred around 8:25 a.m. at Freetown Elementary School in Glen Burnie, a suburb roughly 15 miles south of Baltimore.
Anne Arundel County Police said the boy was holding the gun when it went off and injured his hand. While there were other students in the classroom at the time, no one else was hurt.
Following the shooting, a teacher was able to safely secure the weapon and render aid to the student, police said. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment of his injury, which is non-life-threatening.
The shooting remains under investigation, but police believe it was an accident.
“Whether it was an accidental discharge or this child intended to fire this weapon, somebody could have died today,” Captain Jaclyn Davis told reporters outside the school. “I think we are all standing under here thanking whoever we believe in that this ended with the minimal amount of injuries that it did.”
It’s unclear how the boy came into possession of the firearm, though “it appears the child obtained the weapon from his residence,” cops said in a press release.
Charges could be filed if it’s determined the gun was improperly stored and left accessible to the boy.
As of late Wednesday morning, there was not believed to be any further threat to student safety. The district said the school would be open as scheduled on Thursday.
