Shooting near Alger Middle School was an accident, mom says
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The mother of an Alger Middle School student who was shot near the school said it was his friend who pulled the trigger, but that she doesn’t think he meant to hurt her son.
Javeon Childrey, 13, remained in the hospital Wednesday after being shot in the cheek. He was in stable condition, understood what happened to him and could talk, his mother told News 8.
“It’s going to take some time, but we’re hoping for a speedy recovery,” Bianca Bridgeforth said. “Ain’t no words to explain how thankful I am. Every time I look at my baby, I’m hurt. I’m beyond thankful.”
Student shot, injured in park near Alger Middle School
The shooting, which police described as “accidental,” happened around noon Tuesday in a bathroom at the Alger Park splash pad, which is on the same block as the school. Both boys involved are eighth graders, the school district said. Police say after the shot was fired, both ran to the front doors of the school, where school staff started first aid and emergency responders soon arrived.
Bridgeforth said her son told her his friend, also 13, had the gun. She said she doesn’t think he meant to shoot her son.
“He was just playing. Yeah, he pointed the gun and shot him, but I don’t think that he actually knew how it was going to go down — especially if he ran behind him (to get help),” she said. “I don’t think it was actually purposely, purposely, ’cause don’t no kid got that much hate in him, I hope.”
She said she found out what happened when her daughter, also a student at Alger Middle, called her.
“She FaceTimed me and said that my baby was shot. I was instantly on my way,” Bridgeforth said.
Grand Rapids Public Schools said it’s looking into how the boys left the school. Former Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack said Javeon told his mother that he and the other boy were in the gym and left to use the bathroom at the park, and that they had done so before.
“He walked right out their door,” Bridgeforth said. “It’s terrible to me. The safety, the security of these children; it’s an understatement. They don’t know when these kids coming and going.”
GRPS looking into how students left Alger Middle School before shooting
She called for better security and more adults at the school to watch the students.
“If we need more teachers or more volunteers in the hallways as we get these babies together, that’s what needs to be done. Anything to be done for the safety of these kids, because it’s ridiculous at this point,” she said.
Womack said that as of Wednesday afternoon, Bridgeforth had not been contacted by anyone at the district. Bridgeforth said she had raised concerns about communication from the district before.
“It hurts me to know that I’ve been the same parent that y’all know by name, and now look at my child. After I done begged y’all — I begged for phone calls, I done talked to that man that was on the news, aint nobody still got back to me. So I’m hurt, I’m furious,” she said.
Still unclear is exactly where the gun came from. Police said in a Wednesday statement that they could not release information about how the students got it. They added that the investigation into the shooting could take longer than usual, citing “the unique circumstances.”
Standing next to Bridgeforth as she spoke to News 8 Wednesday, youth advocate Jermar Sterling said that he’s glad her son will be OK.
“I’m also happy that she has found it in her heart to let go of the emotions and look at the reality that these are 13-year-olds and violence is a learned behavior,” Sterling said. “I’m just challenging all the men of the communities to step up behind these youth.”
The school district said it will have metal detectors in place when students return to Alger Middle on Thursday, and they’ll stay there for the rest of the term.
—News 8’s Demetrios Sanders contributed to this report.
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