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View Full Version : Kansas 9-year-old tries to swap gun for Xbox



skorp
03-31-2005, 05:39 PM
It started out as a proposed trade between two 9-year-old Wichita boys.

One boy offered a .38-caliber handgun for an Xbox, a popular electronic game system, officials say. The gun would turn out to be loaded.

But the trade never occurred. Instead, the boy offering the gun has been suspended from school, and his grandfather has received a notice to appear in court for improperly storing a firearm.

Everyone -- including the grandfather -- agreed Wednesday that the good thing is no one got hurt.

A possible tragedy was averted because authorities were notified, police said.

Instead of going through with the trade Tuesday, the boy with the Xbox told his mother about the offer. The mother quickly notified a teacher, and soon police were alerted, school district spokeswoman Susan Arensman said.

Police found the loaded gun in the boy's backpack at his home Tuesday night.

Police spokeswoman Janet Johnson stressed that the gun never made it to school and that the boy made no threats.

The two boys are classmates at Woodman Elementary School, 2500 Hiram, Arensman said.

Because the school district has a zero-tolerance policy against weapons and because the gun could have been taken to school, the boy who offered the trade has been suspended. He will remain on suspension pending a hearing that will be held within a week, Arensman said.

The boy's grandfather and guardian, Clark Sharon, said he took precautions to keep the gun away from his grandson.

Johnson said Sharon has cooperated with investigators.

The Eagle is not naming the boy.

Tuesday afternoon, the boys discussed the trade as they walked home, off school grounds, Arensman said.

Sharon, 54, said he thought the gun -- a five-shot model -- had been stolen recently from his southwest Wichita home during a break-in. He didn't report it.

It wasn't until Tuesday night, when police came to his door, that Sharon starting learning the truth:

About two weeks ago, his grandson had taken a ladder around to Sharon's bedroom window.

Sharon said he keeps his bedroom door locked from the inside and stored the unloaded pistol, out of sight, in the top rear of his closet. He kept the ammunition separately, in a nightstand.

But without Sharon knowing, he said, his grandson pried open the window from the outside, took the gun and loaded it with five bullets, then hid it in the garage.

The gun remained in the garage for about 10 days until the boy put it to his backpack, where police found it and confiscated it.

"I thought I had taken every reasonable precaution," Sharon said.

During questioning, the boy told officers he never planned to take the gun to school, Sharon said.

"He just said his intention was to get an Xbox."

The boy had received another electronic-game toy and traded it away, his grandfather said.

Sharon, an aircraft tool builder, said his grandson is "very smart" and makes excellent grades.

Still, Sharon said, the boy doesn't yet fully understand the trouble he's in now.

The trade apparently was to have taken place at Sharon's house.

But the boy with the Xbox told his mother, who started the chain of alerting authorities.

"She did the right thing," Arensman said.

"We're glad that the Police Department immediately... conducted the investigation."


Glad nobody was hurt.... :eek:

Variation-XBA
04-01-2005, 02:05 AM
WTF is wrong with kids nowadays...christ

TRSundown
04-01-2005, 10:13 AM
Dude... Thats messed up. :huh:

Oh by the way... I have some plutonium if anyone wants to trade me some XB Games for it. :whistle:

mattgame
04-01-2005, 10:24 AM
Where do you want to meet?

GamerChick82
04-01-2005, 11:59 AM
Wow that's just sad.

Ford Mustang
04-01-2005, 03:49 PM
The kid climbed the house into the his grandfather's bedroom? WTF? That kid needs to be beaten...

Nameless
04-02-2005, 03:36 PM
Instead, the boy offering the gun has been suspended from school, and his grandfather has received a notice to appear in court for improperly storing a firearm.

Sharon said he keeps his bedroom door locked from the inside and stored the unloaded pistol, out of sight, in the top rear of his closet. He kept the ammunition separately, in a nightstand.
Unless they think he should put bars on his window, I don't see why he should have to go to court. Seems like he kept well hidden...

m4oH
04-02-2005, 03:44 PM
Unless they think he should put bars on his window, I don't see why he should have to go to court. Seems like he kept well hidden...
I agree why the hell are they talking him to court for improperly storing a firearm. I mean what else do they want him to do? He had it well enough hidden.

super_ryu
04-02-2005, 07:12 PM
Where do you want to meet?
Oooo ooo, trade it to me TRSundown will rip you off! I'll even throw in a rocket launcher:
http://www.magictrade.dk/images/kort/antiquities/Rocket%20Launcher.jpg
see?

DemonLoki
04-04-2005, 03:55 AM
So the kid wanted an Xbox, and had a loaded gun under the pretext of an exchange, but he wanted the Xbox without trading for the gun.
Sounds like this clever little ****** was going to rob the other kid at gun point to me.

JADE8704
04-04-2005, 07:45 AM
yeah, kids from witchita are psycho...not here in lawrence :)

Cool
04-04-2005, 11:42 PM
Guns > Xbox.

Reclaimer
04-05-2005, 02:19 AM
Because the school district has a zero-tolerance policy against weapons and because the gun could have been taken to school, the boy who offered the trade has been suspended.

Now I'm glad that the trade was stopped and the police intervened. But I'm trying to figure out when does a school have jurisdiction over a student at home. Every district has a zero tolerance policy because it's a national program. But from what I understand, the ZTP is only for infractions occuring on school property. How did the school figure they could suspend a kid for something that didn't occur on their property and didn't even happen yet?
The chain of reaction was good, the parent notifies a teacher, the teacher notifies the school, the school notifies the police and the police respond. The police find and secure the weapon, interview the subject and charge him with illegal poession of a firearm by a minor. It should have stopped there I believe. The gun never made it to the school and for 10 days it sat in hiding. So it baffles me on how a school can enforce their policy on a student at his own home.
I'm happy the situation was controlled. I am satisfied with the law enforcement reaction. But when is enough, enough?
I know that kids with guns makes everyone jumpy especially with the string of school violence. But I feel we have laws, police and a justice system for a reason. Not to be sucker punched by a school because they can articulate a possible threat.

selowitch
04-05-2005, 01:43 PM
Now I'm glad that the trade was stopped and the police intervened. But I'm trying to figure out when does a school have jurisdiction over a student at home. Every district has a zero tolerance policy because it's a national program. But from what I understand, the ZTP is only for infractions occuring on school property. How did the school figure they could suspend a kid for something that didn't occur on their property and didn't even happen yet?
The chain of reaction was good, the parent notifies a teacher, the teacher notifies the school, the school notifies the police and the police respond. The police find and secure the weapon, interview the subject and charge him with illegal poession of a firearm by a minor. It should have stopped there I believe. The gun never made it to the school and for 10 days it sat in hiding. So it baffles me on how a school can enforce their policy on a student at his own home.
I'm happy the situation was controlled. I am satisfied with the law enforcement reaction. But when is enough, enough?
I know that kids with guns makes everyone jumpy especially with the string of school violence. But I feel we have laws, police and a justice system for a reason. Not to be sucker punched by a school because they can articulate a possible threat.
Well said!

Cloud Wolf
04-05-2005, 02:22 PM
I wouldent trade me xbox for a gun maybe a tank.

Brevity
04-05-2005, 07:21 PM
Smart kid. World sucks

Reclaimer
04-05-2005, 10:06 PM
I wouldent trade me xbox for a gun maybe a tank.

Give me an M4, Mp5 or a Desert Eagle .50 and you can have my Xbox, games and controllers.