Memphis Mother Charged After 6-Year-Old Brings Loaded Gun to School

A mother in Memphis, Tenn., was arrested and charged after her 6-year-old son brought a loaded gun to his school.

The Memphis Police Department responded to a call about an armed individual at Geeter K-8 School before 8:40 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, after a resource officer told police a child had a handgun on school property, reports ABC News, WREG-TV, and Fox13 Memphis, citing a police affidavit. The Memphis Police Department says in a statement shared with PEOPLE that another student alerted staff of the firearm — “a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun” — and a teacher recovered it from the 6-year-old’s bookbag.

The affidavit stated that the child’s mother, Ke’Erinie King, allegedly admitted it was hers and said she had gotten it from an “unknown person,” per the outlets. Officers later checked the serial number and discovered the weapon was stolen.

King, 22, was arrested and charged with child abuse and child neglect or endangerment, carrying a weapon on school property, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, the affidavit says, according to the outlets.

Fox13 Memphis reports that King was booked into the Shelby County Jail and released without bond. Her next court date is scheduled for Oct. 4, WMC-TV reports. It is not clear if she has an attorney.

King’s mother, Lakeisha Williams, spoke out about the charges in an interview with WMC-TV, stating, “They made it look as if she gave the child a gun to take to school or she had it somewhere where he can just go and pick it up.”

“We don’t have our guns lying around for kids to just go and easily get them. My grandson went out of his way,” she added. “He pulled up a little chair and got his mom, and he got a hold of that gun.”

“Sometimes, as parents, maybe we need to not let our kids know exactly where we hide our guns, and also when you purchase a gun off the street, make sure that is a clean gun because you don’t know what you’re purchasing off the street these days and where they come from,” continued Williams while speaking about the station.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools released a statement about the incident and said the “school resource officer and leaders acted swiftly to address the situation.”

“We encourage all parents and guardians to check their students’ backpacks before they come to school each day. It is also important to discuss the serious consequences of bringing any weapon or replica weapon to school,” the statement obtained by WREG-TV read.

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“Our priority remains the safety and well-being of all students. We appreciate our community’s support in ensuring a secure learning environment,” the statement continued.

PEOPLE reached out to Memphis-Shelby County Schools for comment.