Arkansas preschooler, 4, took handgun onto school bus, district says

A southeast Arkansas preschooler took a handgun onto a school bus Tuesday morning, district officials said.

The 4-year-old told an older student on the bus about the weapon, prompting that student to call the preschooler's mother, according to a Facebook post from the Drew Central School District.

The mother met the bus at the Monticello school and retrieved the gun before the child entered the building, the post said.

The bus driver had no knowledge of the gun, superintendent Billy Williams told Arkansas Online, and school officials were not notified until a parent who had heard a rumor called the school after lunchtime.

"We're thankful for the outcome, but we're really concerned that no one reported that," Williams said. "I'm glad no one was hurt."

Police were called in to interview the preschooler, who has been suspended, Williams said. School officials also called the Department of Human Services' hotline.

Williams said the school already checks students' backpacks before they enter the building but is looking into ways to improve safety on buses.

He said the district has never had a handgun incident in its lower grades before.

The investigation is ongoing.

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