Elementary student found with firearm on school bus

New Whiteland, Indiana – An elementary pupil was taken into custody yesterday when a firearm was discovered in his backpack during a school bus journey, as per authorities.

Officials from Clark-Pleasant Community Schools reported that the pupil was aboard a bus en route to Break-O-Day Elementary School in New Whiteland, as detailed by the Indianapolis Star. Around 8:45 a.m. EDT, another student informed the bus operator about the presence of the firearm.

Before the alert, the boy had displayed the firearm to two peers, superintendent of Clark-Pleasant Schools, Timothy Edsell, shared with the Star.

Upon receiving the information, the bus operator promptly secured the firearm from the pupil, as per multiple reports.

Clark-Pleasant Police arrived swiftly at the scene. Edsell confirmed to the Star that all pupils remained unharmed and regular school operations persisted.

The pupil found with the firearm was held for interrogation. Edsell indicated the belief that the firearm had originated from the boy’s residence. As per the Star, it remains unspecified whether the firearm was loaded.

The exact age of the boy with the firearm has been withheld by the police, though Edsell mentioned he was of “upper elementary age.”

Commenting on the incident, Edsell remarked, “I commend the pupils who identified the firearm for swiftly alerting the bus operator. No threats were ever presented. The response was immediate and appropriate. I express gratitude to both the pupils and the bus operator for their actions.”

For context, New Whiteland is situated about 16 miles to the south of Indianapolis.