Nursery child shoots Class 3 boy at Supaul school in Bihar, father flees with gun, child

Angry mob attacked Lalpatti school, before Bihar police arrested principal

Agencies, August 01, 2024, Patna :  In a shocking incident in northern Bihar's Supaul district, a nursery boy shot a senior student with a handgun that he reportedly brought from school. A class 3 student aged 10 was shot in the arm and was rushed to the hospital. 

The owner of the institution was arrested by the police following the incident, local media reports said.

According to Bihar Police, the nursery child, aged five brought the gun to school in the Lalpatti area hidden in his bag. The family of the injured kin said that they saw the gun's magazine on the scene where their son was shot. The family told the media that the school authorities informed them that the boy had suffered a small injury. It was when they arrived they understood that the child had suffered a bullet injury. The boy had targeted their son's chest region but hit his arm in the process, they reportedly alleged.

Later, the school was attacked by angry locals who vandalised the principal's office and several classrooms, LiveHindustan said in a report.

The Hindi media said the nursery student strayed into the victim and pulled the trigger. The boy and his father are absconding with the firearm, it added.

The police are in the process of finding out how the boy managed to bring the weapon to school. To avoid such situations in future, the police asked schools across Supaul to be vigilant about student backpacks. Parents should also keep an eye on their wards to avoid such situations, they added. 

IANS: The incident occurred at a St Joseph School under the jurisdiction of the Triveniganj police station in the district.

District Superintendent of Police (SP) Shaishav Yadav confirmed to IANS that the incident took place during the assembly session around 9 a.m.

Sources said that the victim's quick reflexes played a crucial role in minimizing the injury. By ducking at the right moment, the victim was able to avoid a potentially fatal shot to his chest or stomach.

The victim sustained an injury to his hand and is currently admitted to a hospital and out of danger.

Following the incident at St. John's School, the teachers recovered the weapon and called the parents of both the victim and the nursery student. During the discussion, the weapon was placed on a table. Seizing the opportunity, the father grabbed the weapon and his son and fled from the school on a bike.

Sources said the school administration called the parents first and the police were informed later.

After the incident, a large number of parents and residents gathered at the school and created a ruckus both inside and outside the school premises.

“At present, efforts are underway to calm down the agitating parents, with adequate security forces deployed to restore normalcy in the area,” SP Yadav said.

He stated, "We are investigating the incident to determine how the child brought the weapon inside the school. It is the initial period of investigation, and we will conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain whether it is a licensed weapon or not. Appropriate action will be taken following the investigation."

The incident has also raised concerns about the school's security measures. The SP mentioned that action will be taken against the school administration as well, indicating that the security lapse will be addressed accordingly.