Skip to main content

Parents arrested after 3rd grader accidentally fired gun in Va. classroom, deputies say

The parents of a third grade student at Lee Hill Elementary School in Fredericksburg, Virginia, have been arrested and charged after a pistol the boy brought to school went off while inside his backpack, according to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office.

No one was hurt during the incident, which happened Monday just before 11 a.m. The classroom was evacuated while police secured the scene.

“It was during snack time, and the child reached into his bookbag to retrieve his snacks and inadvertently pulled the trigger of the weapon,” Maj. Liz Scott with the sheriff’s office told WTOP. “It’s truly remarkable that nobody was physically injured.”

Both 36-year-old Ciara Armstead and 34-year-old Terrence Carroll Jr. were charged with one felony and one misdemeanor related to endangering a child. Their son is not facing any charges.

Scott said gun owners need to take precautions to avoid this kind of situation.

“They should be unloaded, locked and out of the reach of children,” she said.

Both parents posted a $5,000 bond and are expected to appear for arraignment on Friday in Spotsylvania County Juvenile Domestic Court.

Scott said the teacher, who is not being identified, deserves a lot of credit for gathering all 26 students in the classroom and evacuating them to safety.

Counseling is being offered at Lee Hill Elementary to students and parents who wish to talk about the incident.

Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the ‘people movers’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal. In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. But of all the construction projects Trump is pursuing, the renovations at Dulles could prove to be his most popular and benefit the greatest number of people. The airport, the area’s primary international airport, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Read Next Story