LAUDERHILL, Fla. – A 9-year-old was arrested Tuesday after bringing a loaded gun to school to confront three alleged bullies, authorities said.
The incident was reported Tuesday morning at Lauderhill Paul Turner Elementary School, at 1500 NW 49th Ave.
According to Lauderhill police, the child brought a loaded, .380-caliber Ruger handgun to school and pointed it at three classmates while saying, "You see this? This is a real gun."
Police said the child made other threatening comments regarding being bullied by the students.
Authorities said the school resource officer took the gun from the student and took the child into custody.
"They disarmed the child without any incident, and the school was rendered safe as soon as the child was disarmed," Lauderhill police spokeswoman Yvette Marquez-Perkins said.
The student's parents were visibly upset when notified about the incident and denied that their child had a history of mental illness, police said.
Authorities believe the child's actions were solely intended for the three students in question and not for other classmates.
Local 10 News reporter Alex Finnie was told the school was not evacuated at any point and that it took about two minutes for the school resource officer to diffuse the situation.
The child was taken to the Broward County Juvenile Assessment Center and faces charges of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm on school property.