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4th grader caught with loaded gun in backpack on school bus

A Georgia fourth grader was caught with a loaded gun in his backpack on the school bus after another student saw it and reported him. Photo: Pixabay

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A fourth-grade boy had a loaded gun on a school bus Wednesday afternoon, Coweta County School System officials said.

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The gun was discovered in the boy’s backpack just after 2:30 p.m. as students were heading home from Ruth Hill Elementary in Newnan, district spokesman Dean Jackson said Thursday.

The driver stopped the bus, confiscated the backpack and called authorities after another student reported that the child had a weapon, Jackson said.

A school resource officer and an administrator who were called to the bus searched the backpack and discovered the loaded gun, he said. The student was removed from the bus.

It's unclear how the child got the firearm, but district officials said the Newnan Police Department is handling the investigation.

In a letter sent to parents Wednesday afternoon, Ruth Hill Principal Aaron Corley said the student did not make any threats and that appropriate legal and disciplinary action is being taken.

"The administration's continued emphasis on safety remains an utmost priority," he wrote. "Please remind your students to notify the administration at any time when they are concerned about their safety."