VA - 7th-grader suspended for playing with airsoft gun in own yard

[Deleted member 96356]

Okay I'm confused
Are you saying it was the shooter's mom who called police? That makes no sense.

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No, like I said before it was reported that the mother of one of the boys who were playing made the call. The boy who owned the airsoft wasn't playing by himself, there were other kids present.

 

[Linda7NJ]

No, like I said before it was reported that the mother of one of the boys who were playing made the call. The boy who owned the airsoft wasn't playing by himself, there were other kids present.

I'm not sure it's called "playing" if you're the one running down the street being pelted by hard plastic bullets

 

[flourish]

No, like I said before it was reported that the mother of one of the boys who were playing made the call. The boy who owned the airsoft wasn't playing by himself, there were other kids present.

Thank you for the kind clarification.

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[Deleted member 96356]

I think the caller you are referring to made the first call on 9/9. The call LE responded to came in on 9/12 from a motorist who said they had just witnessed a boy with a gun chasing another boy in the street. The second call, not the first one, is what prompted the investigation.

Thank you! I went back to a different WAVY.TV story and it says the mother called it in on 9/9 and then it turns out her kid was one of the ones present on 9/12. That wasn't clear in the older story, it made it all sound the same day... possibly because WAVY claims they weren't told about every call when they first contacted police. Anyway:

"Ironically, that 911 caller's son was playing with Khalid and Aidan in the Caraballo front yard on September 12 -- the incident that got the boys in trouble. There were six children playing in an airsoft gun war."

http://www.wavy.com/news/local/va-beach/has-zero-tolerance-gone-too-far

This whole story leaves me shaking my head.

 

[Deleted member 96356]

I'm not sure it's called "playing" if you're the one running down the street being pelted by hard plastic bullets

From the same article:

Aidan admits shooting the 911 caller's son in the arm, and Khalid admits shooting another friend in the back.
"He knew we had the airsoft gun. He knew we were playing. He knew people were getting shot. We were shooting at the tree, but he still came, and even after he was shot, he still played," Aidan said, referring to the son of the 911 caller.


Have any adults disputed that?

 

[gxm]

From the same article:

Aidan admits shooting the 911 caller's son in the arm, and Khalid admits shooting another friend in the back.
"He knew we had the airsoft gun. He knew we were playing. He knew people were getting shot. We were shooting at the tree, but he still came, and even after he was shot, he still played," Aidan said, referring to the son of the 911 caller.


Have any adults disputed that?

I think that's the crux of the problem: There were no adults around. To the best of my knowledge, the only adult witness is the motorist who called 911 that morning.

 

[Linda7NJ]

The moral of the story IMO you don't buy your children airsoft guns and send them to out into the neighborhood to "play" ....whatever that means.

 

[flourish]

The moral of the story IMO you don't buy your children airsoft guns and send them to out into the neighborhood to "play" ....whatever that means.

My boyfriend's ex bought their five year old son an airsoft gun recently. He brought it when he came to stay with us a few weeks ago. Dad and I agreed that we didn't want him playing with it at our house, so we made that a rule.

Then I "forgot" to send it back to mom's...oops lol. Child hasn't even noticed.

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[Zuri]

My boyfriend's ex bought their five year old son an airsoft gun recently. He brought it when he came to stay with us a few weeks ago. Dad and I agreed that we didn't want him playing with it at our house, so we made that a rule.

Then I "forgot" to send it back to mom's...oops lol. Child hasn't even noticed.

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IMO you both are awesome. These boys parents should take a page out of your book. :seeya:

 

[Sunshine95]

I am part of the decision making process for kids who break rules and school. The school, the bus and the bus stop are all considered school areas, and should be safe areas for ALL students. If the bus stop is in front of or near the kid's house, then the school rules apply to that area DURING THE TIME KIDS COME TO THE BUS STOP AND ARE DROPPED OFF IN THE AFTERNOON. It is not a bus stop saturday morning, it is not a bus stop noon on Wednesday, or Friday evening. It is a bus stop during limited times on school days. If the parents don't like it, they can request a change.
That being said, there is a zero tolerance policy for weapons and things that can be considered weapons including toys. You can't pull out a plastic knife on the bus, you can't pull out a water pistol at school, and you can't shoot people with an air soft gun at the bus stop. In my opinion, I find it frustrating that some folks are over dramatizing the incident claiming the school rules apply all the time to all private property and that schools are overstepping their place. Bullying on cyberspace (even if it happens at night, at home or wherever), when it affects kids feeling safe to be at school, is also legally under school discipline jurisdiction.
If one of those kids were killed, or paralyzed, or began having nightmares, develops PTSD... if one of those kids lost a father in battle over seas and it triggered a strong emotional response, if one of those kids is already being intimidated or bullied by one of the shooters... there are so many possible harms that could have and may have occurred. ALL kids deserve to go to school and feel safe. Period. That includes the free travel that kids are guaranteed.
When a kid pulled out a plastic, like picnic kind of plastic knife on a bus, even though the kid is not a problem kid and didn't threaten anyone with it, that kid had to be informed of the seriousness, hand over the knife, and be warned of future suspension if it ever happens again. Parents notified, recorded in school record, etc. Air soft guns are much more dangerous. My child would NEVER do this because he was taught responsibility with all forms of weapons, including toys. This was reckless behavior that interfered with kids attending school safely. I assume that the reason he got such a long alternative placement is because he has already had other discipline problems.
If his parents, or any other families that have a bus stop in their front yard, feel like their right to privacy is affected, then call the number for transportation and change the bus stop location, and parent your kids so the schools don't have to.
ALL my opinion.

 

[Ladylub]

I thought public schools were supposed to be in the business of teaching? They have the child the bulk of the day and it's obvious whatever his parents/caregivers are doing is having zero effect. He's escalating.

Assuming goal is to get this child on the right path & protect other students and with any luck make him a productive member of society. The school has a duty to step in. These children were in route to school.

When they are at school yes but parents and police should be involved outside of school. I guess parents now should have no say in their children once they are school age if the school thinks they are not doing their job at home.

Example of something that has happened already this school yr and why I take issue with the school stepping in. A teacher stormed down the sidewalk rudely bumping into one of my kiddo who then bumps into my other kiddo and a friends little girl, as she yelled to moved faster. They go in the grass to get away from her so she barks at them to get out the grass. We ( friend and I ) tell kids to go the opposite way of where a group of kids were going. She yells at our kids to get back in line. Even after we said they were with us she ordered them back in line to go the opposite direction of our house. All this time yelling and barking at our kids she is standing in the same grass she told our children to get out of. She then follows us down the sidewalk barking telling the kids to walk in a line down the sidewalk. We cross the street the kids skip ahead, stop at friend's house who lives at the corner and the girls hug before we head home. She yells at the kids again saying there is no skipping or hugging telling the kids they need to follow school rules. The moment my kids come out that school they are mine, I rule this nest. My kids are allowed to skip on the way home, they are allow to hug their friends, if I tell my kids to turn left instead of right I want them to go left not be stuck confused b/c some teacher is trying to throw her weight around trying to throw out school rules.
How far can a school go in telling us what our children can and can not do outside of school? I'm sorry but its out of line for a school to step in when this should be handled by the parents and police.

6 times in the last 18 months but when was the last time he was in trouble? I have not seen anything stating when the last time he was in trouble. We do not know what his parents have done or haven't done about his behavior unless you have seen an article I haven't.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I am part of the decision making process for kids who break rules and school. The school, the bus and the bus stop are all considered school areas, and should be safe areas for ALL students. If the bus stop is in front of or near the kid's house, then the school rules apply to that area DURING THE TIME KIDS COME TO THE BUS STOP AND ARE DROPPED OFF IN THE AFTERNOON. It is not a bus stop saturday morning, it is not a bus stop noon on Wednesday, or Friday evening. It is a bus stop during limited times on school days. If the parents don't like it, they can request a change.
That being said, there is a zero tolerance policy for weapons and things that can be considered weapons including toys. You can't pull out a plastic knife on the bus, you can't pull out a water pistol at school, and you can't shoot people with an air soft gun at the bus stop. In my opinion, I find it frustrating that some folks are over dramatizing the incident claiming the school rules apply all the time to all private property and that schools are overstepping their place. Bullying on cyberspace (even if it happens at night, at home or wherever), when it affects kids feeling safe to be at school, is also legally under school discipline jurisdiction.
If one of those kids were killed, or paralyzed, or began having nightmares, develops PTSD... if one of those kids lost a father in battle over seas and it triggered a strong emotional response, if one of those kids is already being intimidated or bullied by one of the shooters... there are so many possible harms that could have and may have occurred. ALL kids deserve to go to school and feel safe. Period. That includes the free travel that kids are guaranteed.
When a kid pulled out a plastic, like picnic kind of plastic knife on a bus, even though the kid is not a problem kid and didn't threaten anyone with it, that kid had to be informed of the seriousness, hand over the knife, and be warned of future suspension if it ever happens again. Parents notified, recorded in school record, etc. Air soft guns are much more dangerous. My child would NEVER do this because he was taught responsibility with all forms of weapons, including toys. This was reckless behavior that interfered with kids attending school safely. I assume that the reason he got such a long alternative placement is because he has already had other discipline problems.
If his parents, or any other families that have a bus stop in their front yard, feel like their right to privacy is affected, then call the number for transportation and change the bus stop location, and parent your kids so the schools don't have to.
ALL my opinion.

I completely and totally agree!

 

[Linda7NJ]

When they are at school yes but parents and police should be involved outside of school. I guess parents now should have no say in their children once they are school age if the school thinks they are not doing their job at home.

Example of something that has happened already this school yr and why I take issue with the school stepping in. A teacher stormed down the sidewalk rudely bumping into one of my kiddo who then bumps into my other kiddo and a friends little girl, as she yelled to moved faster. They go in the grass to get away from her so she barks at them to get out the grass. We ( friend and I ) tell kids to go the opposite way of where a group of kids were going. She yells at our kids to get back in line. Even after we said they were with us she ordered them back in line to go the opposite direction of our house. All this time yelling and barking at our kids she is standing in the same grass she told our children to get out of. She then follows us down the sidewalk barking telling the kids to walk in a line down the sidewalk. We cross the street the kids skip ahead, stop at friend's house who lives at the corner and the girls hug before we head home. She yells at the kids again saying there is no skipping or hugging telling the kids they need to follow school rules. The moment my kids come out that school they are mine, I rule this nest. My kids are allowed to skip on the way home, they are allow to hug their friends, if I tell my kids to turn left instead of right I want them to go left not be stuck confused b/c some teacher is trying to throw her weight around trying to throw out school rules.
How far can a school go in telling us what our children can and can not do outside of school? I'm sorry but its out of line for a school to step in when this should be handled by the parents and police.

6 times in the last 18 months but when was the last time he was in trouble? I have not seen anything stating when the last time he was in trouble. We do not know what his parents have done or haven't done about his behavior unless you have seen an article I haven't.

I'm gonna give you my opinion on this, I completely understand you haven't asked for it.

The teachers behavior you described to me is completely and totally unacceptable. It's inappropriate anytime. You and I know she behaves that way ALL the time.
Behavior like that & even worse, from teachers, is one of the reasons I now homeschool.

 

[flourish]

IMO you both are awesome. These boys parents should take a page out of your book. :seeya:

Oh my goodness that is so sweet of you to say Being a step-mom-to-be is hard!

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