A fourth grade student was removed from class Thursday morning at Oak Hill Elementary after bringing an airsoft pellet gun and pellets to class.

According to Newton County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Lt. Tyrone Oliver, the student brought the gun and showed it to another child in the class. That child told the teacher, who confiscated the gun and removed the boy from class. Oliver said that the boy told investigators that he intended to play with the gun after school and had no intention of harming anyone.

“The preliminary investigation is that it wasn’t brought to harm anyone and it isn’t a real gun,” said Oliver. “We have not brought charges against him, I am unsure as to what the school system will do.”

A comment from Sherri Davis-Viniard, director of public relations for the Newton County School System, says “the school system is following the procedures listed in the district’s elementary school student handbook.”

The handbook section on weapons reads, in part, “A student shall not supply, possess, handle, use, threaten to use, or transmit any weapon or any other tool or instrument capable of influencing bodily injury and intended for use as a weapon, in a school safety zone, at a school building, school function, or on school property or on a bus or other transportation furnished by the school.” Part of the description on what are considered weapons includes pellet guns, look-alike firearms, or any weapon designated or intended to propel a missile of any kind, whether loaded or unloaded.

 According to the handbook, “Any student bringing a gun (including a firearm as defined by federal law) onto school property shall be referred to the Disciplinary Hearing Officer(s). If the Hearing Officer(s) determines that the student did possess a gun on school grounds, the student shall be suspended for not less than one year.”

To read the full policy on weapons, see http://www.newtoncountyschools.org/board/ncss-policy-jcdae_weapons.asp