A gun and loaded magazine were found inside the desk of a second-grade pupil at an elementary school in Sacramento.
Students at Edward Kemble Elementary alerted staff that one of their classmates had brought a gun to school and police were immediately called to the scene and secured the weapon, CBS reports.
In a message to parents, the Sacramento City Unified School District said: “It is our promise to you that we will do all that we can to learn from today’s experience so that we can keep your child and our schools safe.
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“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.”
Sacramento City Unified said it is cooperating with police who has launched an investigation into the incident.
The discovery happened on the same day that 19 children and two adults were killed at an elementary school shooting in Ulvade in Texas.
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The 18-year-old gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School, and is suspected of killing his grandmother at the start of the rampage.
The teen was armed with a handgun, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and high-capacity magazines and was wearing body armour, officials have said.
He was killed by law enforcement.
In the wake of the devastating incident, US president Joe Biden has urged Americans to stand up to the gun lobby.
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Giving an address he said: “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?. Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?
“It is time to turn this pain to the action, for every parent, every citizen of this country. We have to make it clear to every elected official in this country: it’s time to act. It’s time for those who obstruct or delay or blocked the common sense gun laws – we need to let you know that we will not forget.”
The attack was the deadliest shooting at a US grade school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago.
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Claire Reid