OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine — Staff at Jameson Elementary School in Old Orchard Beach learned about the incident Monday afternoon after a student, who saw the gun, told his mother after school.
The gun, which was in an 8-year-old boy's backpack, was a realistic looking air-powered BB gun, that was non-functional and broken.
It took administrators about 24 hour to put the pieces together because they were getting conflicting stories. But once they were able to view security video they could clearly see the 8-year-old boy showing fellow classmates something that was in his backpack.
Old Orchard Beach Superintendent John Suttie sent out an email on Tuesday afternoon and another one on Wednesday to the Jameson School community.
Heather Nason kept her two children, Cooper and Madilyn, home from school Thursday.
"I did not sleep well last night"
Nason says the student who brought in the BB gun is in her son's second grade class.
"The fact that this child got it and brought it into school and had it in his backpack all day is very alarming."
Nason says because the boy is in her son's classroom she should have received better communication from the school.
"Some people are saying oh it was only a BB gun and the fact that you have to say it was only a gun in the sentence shouldn't be happening."
"I can see why parents were concerned", Suttie says.
Regardless, Suttie wants parents to feel confident the school staff did everything they could to handle the situation.
"Any scenario that occurs regarding this or any other issue, we will relentlessly pursue facts and the truth and do everything in our power to keep all of our students safe."
Cooper and Madilyn Nason will head back to school Friday, but for now, Heather is taking this time to hold them a little closer.
The 8-year-old student, who brought the BB gun into school, has been suspended for 5 days.
The superintendent says counseling is being provided to the student and his classmates to insure a positive re-entry into school and to use what happened as a teachable moment.