Parents Express Frustration After Handguns Found in East Granby Student's Belongings

Parents and community members came out to a special Board of Education meeting in East Granby Monday night.

The meeting convened after an elementary school student was found with two handguns in their belongings Friday. The child's father has since been arrested.

Staff at the Carl Allgrove Elementary School made the discovery during the late morning hours when school was in session. Now, parents are expressing their frustrations over how the situation was handled.

Dozens of parents packed into the board meeting and pressured Connecticut State Police for more information.

Parents questioned why a lockdown wasn't instituted, and the superintendent said it's because the incident was contained immediately.

The superintendent said she could've better communicated with parents regarding the incident by sending out text messages in addition to emailing families.

Several parents expressed concerns over having guns in or around school. Parents also questioned why only one room was searched rather than the whole school.

NBC Connecticut

The superintendent told parents that their kids can return to school without having to worry. There will be an increased police presence at the elementary school through the end of the week.

The school district said they already have plans in place to bring in a school resource officer (SRO) at the start of the new year. They're also considering hiring more due to this incident.

School officials weren't able to share whether or not the gun was loaded.

Moving forward, the superintendent said she wants feedback and is considering the possibility of creating a small parent committee to see what changes can be made.

The child's father is due in court on Dec. 22. State police said it's possible he could face additional charges, or some charges could be dropped, depending on their investigation.

Parents are advised to talk to their children and encourage them to report anything suspicious.