Found in an 8-year-old's book bag at Simon Kenton Elementary School, Ohio, the gun was discovered at the end of the day before children went home. The child explained that he brought the gun to school because he thought another student was going to hurt him, the Springfield News-Sun reports.
The student will face disciplinary action in accordance with Springfield City School Districts student code of conduct, according to Superintendent Dr. Robert Hill. Police say the child may also face charges for having a deadly weapon in a school safety zone.
No one was hurt during the process to secure the weapon and the student is currently in custody.
READ MORE: US Politicians Call for Action on Gun Control in Wake of Florida Shooting
Mass shootings have recently plagued the United States, and gun violence has become an increasing concern at US schools. In the begging of February, at least 17 people were killed and more than a dozen wounded in an attack by a former student of the high school in southern Florida's Broward County.
President Donald Trump said he is going to impose new regulations that would ban "bump stocks," which allow certain firearms to function as rapid-fire "machine guns," in the wake of mass shootings at schools.
"We must do more to protect our children, we have to do more to protect our children," Trump stated.
