Coeur d'Alene boy, 10, facing charges after bringing 'realistic-looking gun' to school

A 10-year-old boy is facing charges after bringing a "realistic-looking gun" to school this morning.

Coeur d'Alene police said the boy showed the gun to some friends while riding the bus to Northwest Expedition Academy about 8:30 a.m. A school resource officer responded after a parent of a student who saw the weapon on the bus contacted the school. 

"School staff detained the student immediately when the bus arrived," a press release said.

The pellet gun was still in the boy's backpack and he is facing charges under Idaho Code 18-3302I for Threatening Violence Upon School Grounds, the release said.

"This incident highlights the importance of discussing with children the dangers of bringing guns or toy guns to school, as such actions will prompt law enforcement responses that may have serious and potentially harmful consequences for the student involved," the release said. "Educating children about the seriousness of this issue is important to ensuring safety within the school environment."

This was the second incident involving what initially appeared to be a firearm at a school in the past week.

Police on Friday responded to a report of a student outside Coeur d’Alene High School with what turned out to be a water gun.

A community member reported seeing a student “with what looked like a gun” around 10 a.m., according to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department. Officers were already on scene for a different matter, authorities said, and more officers arrived on campus soon after. 

“Officers quickly discovered that the student was playing a game with a toy water gun and wasn’t a threat to anyone at the school,” a news release said. “While the student’s actions were not intended to cause harm, the situation highlighted the potential for misunderstandings that could lead to serious consequences.”