Toy gun incident on Lee’s Summit school bus leaves parents upset
LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Some parents are frustrated after learning that a student was shooting pellets at others on a Lee’s Summit school bus Monday afternoon.
Stephanie Fulbright said when her son got off the bus Monday afternoon, he immediately told her and her husband that another kid shot something at him that went right by his head and into the seat on his bus ride home.
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“So, we immediately called the bus barn, and they were like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’ and said they were going to investigate,” Fulbright explained. “Then, when we called this morning, that’s when they confirmed it was an airsoft gun and that he had aimed it at several people, I guess.”
“It’s even scarier when he’s, like, ‘it went right past my face.” That could have hit him in the eye.”
Fulbright said she received an automated message Tuesday morning from the school district.
“They said it happened, but other than that, there was nothing other than, you know, rest assured, your kids are taken care of, and that was that,” Fulbright said.
In a statement to FOX4, the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District’s executive director of public relations said:
“The district did respond to a report that a student was shooting gel pellets from a toy Nerf Pro gun on an afternoon route yesterday. The incident was immediately addressed in accordance with our Board of Education policies and discipline procedures. All families on Bus 213 were communicated with this morning to ensure parents knew this incident had been addressed.”
“Prompt communication about safety responses is a priority for us, so part of our debrief is reviewing our processes to ensure parents receive same-day communication as often as we can provide it.”
Fulbright said she received the message after her fifth grader had taken the bus to school Tuesday.
“That’s why we called this morning. We were like, is the kid on the bus? Are we safe to let our kids go back on the bus? So, yeah, that came way after,” Fulbright explained.
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Fulbright feels school officials should have alerted parents earlier and clarified their response.
“I just wish that they would take better action and stick to their policies that they tout; don’t quote your bullying policy when you’re not upholding it, because that leads to more dangerous interactions later on,” Fulbright said.
“If a kid’s bringing that in fourth grade, what happens in middle school? What happens in high school? I think with everything that goes on in the country as it is, that’s already a fear, but when it’s right in your face, it’s even more so.”
