Sixth-grader accused of bringing weapon to school - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

A local student is accused of bringing a weapon to school at St. John Francis Regis School.

The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph is sending a letter to parents Tuesday afternoon to let them know what happened. It's a disturbing story not just because of what transpired, but also because the student was only a sixth grader.

Last Thursday the student brought what's said to be a utility knife to school. A teacher found out, the knife was confiscated and the student was suspended for two days, one of them in-school.

It was during the in-school suspension Monday that the student said to classmates that he had the knife to bore a bigger hole in his BB gun to make room for real bullets because there were two students and a teacher he wanted to kill.

The classmates told the principal and he suspended the student for the rest of the school year. The diocese also got police involved.

"You can't go around to your fellow students claiming that there's people you want to kill in that community. I mean we've seen too many instances around the country where students do exactly that, so we don't want to make the decision whether that's a credible threat or not. We want the Kansas City Police Department to make that decision," said Jack Smith with the diocese.

The teacher the student referenced killing said she couldn't believe it when she heard the news.

"My reaction was shock because I have a very good relationship with this kid, my student," she said.

The teacher wished to not have her identity released. She said the student is a good kid, he was never bullied to her knowledge and he was well-liked. She said he's not the type to make these sort of threats.

That's why she's hurting now for herself, her students and the young man.

"I'm not mad at him. I just want him to know that I care for him and I want him to get help. I want him to talk to someone," the teacher said.

Police have talked to the boy's family and, pending the outcome of their investigation, he may not be allowed to return to St. John Francis Regis School next year.

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