An investigation is underway after teens on ATVs drove through the playground at a Homewood elementary school and fired Orbeez-style gel guns, according to police and YMCA officials.
Police responded to Edgewood Elementary School Monday afternoon on a report of teens on four-wheelers and a motorbike that reportedly fired “guns” at the children who attend an after-school program run by the YMCA.
According to an email to parents, two children were struck as they were being moved inside.
“Thankfully, the children were not injured, but we understand how concerning this situation is,” Area Director Briana Williams said in the email to parents.
“We have contacted the proper authorities and school administration, and the incident is under investigation to ensure the safety of our program and the surrounding area moving forward.”
Homewood police Sgt. John Carr said when police arrived at the school, the children had already gone home.
“We are in the process of trying to track down any parents whose kids might have been hit,’’ Carr said. “We have at least person who has called and said their child was hit.”
“We’re also trying to confirm social media posts that the teenagers who did this have come forward and admitted to it, but we don’t know anything about them or who they admitted it to because no one has contacted us yet,’’ Carr said initially.
He then provided an update to say the “offenders” have been identified.
“We’re exploring what charges we could possibly go with through Family Court if and when we get in touch with a parent who wants to initiate that process,’’ he said. Those charges would include disorderly conduct and/or harassment.
“Please rest assured that we are taking additional safety precautions and working closely with the school to prevent anything like this from happening again,’’ Williams wrote in her email to parents. “The safety and well-being of the children in our care remain our top priority, and we are deeply committed to maintaining a safe environment for all.”
Homewood City Schools provided this statement:
“During the YMCA Afterschool Program, some children used splatterball (gel) guns to shoot at our students on the playground on Monday afternoon. The YMCA quickly activated their safety protocols, moving the students inside the school building and notifying the police. Fortunately, no students were seriously injured, but we understand this situation was troubling and caused a lot of stress for our students and YMCA staff.
The children involved have come forward and admitted to shooting the splatterball (gel) guns.
While the guns involved were gel guns, it’s important for our community to know that shooting anything toward the school or other students is unacceptable, as the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority.
We have reminded our students that shooting any type of toy gun or bringing any items that resemble a weapon to our school campuses violates our Code of Conduct and will lead to disciplinary action.
We understand that yesterday’s events were unsettling. Our school safety team will continue to work closely with the YMCA to review our safety measures so our students can participate in fun after school activities where they feel safe and secure.”
