A handgun and loaded magazine were found in a second-grade student’s school desk after classmates alerted staff members about the weapon.
The Sacramento City Unified School District sent a statement to families following the Tuesday discovery.
“We are writing to inform you about a serious incident that happened at Edward Kemble Elementary today. Staff were alerted by students that a classmate brought a weapon to school,” the statement read.
“Staff immediately began to investigate and found a gun and an accessible loaded magazine in the desk of a 2nd grade student. Staff then called police who secured the weapon and opened an investigation. The District will cooperate with law enforcement as the investigation proceeds,” it added.
The school district’s statement also expressed that it was grateful that alert students and staff might have helped avoid a calamity, as the incident occurred on the same day as a mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas.
“We are grateful that this incident did not result in a tragedy such as those that districts have experienced, including today’s tragic and senseless mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. This is due in large part to the bravery and awareness of the students who came forward and alerted staff at Kemble today,” the statement noted.
The statement noted the importance of the saying, “See something, say something,” as the school district seeks to remain vigilant against threats to student safety.
Al Goldberg, a communications manager with the Sacramento City Unified School District, told a local news outlet that police were immediately called to the scene and secured the weapon.
Parents and students nationwide remain on high alert regarding gun violence following the events at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday. An 18-year old male killed 19 children and two teachers before being shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent in the area.
“A Border Patrol agent who was nearby when the shooting began rushed into the school without waiting for backup and shot and killed the gunman, who was behind a barricade,” the Associated Press reported. “The agent was wounded but able to walk out of the school.”
Custom and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus released a statement regarding the school shooting and acknowledged the agent’s involvement.
“CBP responded immediately to the incident with local law enforcement. Many of our local CBP personnel live in Uvalde; they call this community home, and they work to protect their families, friends and neighbors every single day,” he wrote.
My statement on the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas today: pic.twitter.com/lXP6b6T1Ty
— CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus (@CBPChrisMagnus) May 25, 2022
Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who represents the district where the school shooting occurred, responded in a statement regarding the horrific events.
“It is devastating when our innocent children become the victims of senseless violence. We are devastated,” he wrote. “While we monitor this situation, we remember that Uvalde, while rocked by today’s events, is strong and resilient. In this time of trepidation, our office is always here to do whatever we can to help. We are family and we will continue to be here for each other.”
The mass shooting also comes just over one week after a deadly shooting spree in a Buffalo, New York, grocery store that killed ten people.