8-year-old boy brings loaded pistol to school

The third-grader from Queens, New York, took the gun from the top of a shelf where his father hid it for protection, police officials said yesterday.

Three live rounds were in the pistol when the boy brought it into school on Thursday and sold it to a fellow student, New York Daily reported.

"The whole idea of a second- or third-grader carrying a loaded firearm into a crowded school and selling it is very disturbing on so many levels," said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

The gun's serial number had been scratched off, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

Ignacio Galvan, 54, who is the father of the boy, was awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on charges that included criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child.

The boy is facing weapons possession charges in Queens Family Court. Officials found out about the gun sale when the mother of the boy who purchased it called the school.
The boy who bought the gun has been suspended, Kelly said.

Parents were grateful neither of the boys decided to try out the weapon.