A Christchurch primary school is under scrutiny after a 10-year-old Year 6 boy reportedly brought an airsoft BB gun to school using it during “play” sessions that involved shooting other students.
The incident only came to light when one of the affected students informed a teacher at Knights Stream School after three days of the alleged behaviour, a concerned parent said.
One parent, whose child was involved, expressed frustration over the handling of the situation.
“My daughter is okay physically, but the trauma of having a pistol aimed at her and fired, without any teacher supervision or adult intervention for dozens of these kids, is a trauma that could last for a long time,” she said.
In an email sent to parents, and seen by chrislynchmedia.com, Principal Mike Molloy described the incident as a serious breach of the school’s behaviour and safety policies.
“This matter is being dealt with by the senior leadership team,” Molloy said.
The principal acknowledged that children had been shot during the incident, though no injuries were reported.
He said that many students described the activity as “part of a game” and assured parents the matter would be further investigated.
Principal Mike Molloy
In a follow-up email, Molloy reiterated his commitment to addressing the situation:
“This week, a child brought an Airsoft BB Gun (air pellet gun) into school. This is a serious breach of our behavior and safety policies. This matter is being dealt with by the senior leadership team.
“During the unpacking of this incident, your child indicated that they were shot at with this Airsoft BB Gun. Fortunately, they have not indicated that there have been any injuries as a result. Many reported that this was part of a game. This will be further unpacked next week. Please be assured that we are taking this matter very seriously.”
Parents remain concerned, with one saying, “I’m a parent of a shot child, and there are many of us deeply upset with the way the entire situation has been handled.”
Principal Mike Molloy told chrislynchmedia.com “the school recently addressed an incident involving an airsoft gun that was brought onto school property by a student and discharged by multiple students.
“Once staff became aware of the situation, the airsoft gun was immediately confiscated, and steps were taken to ensure the safety of all students. The school has not been made aware of any injuries that resulted from the incident” he said.
“Following the incident, the school notified the community, with more detailed information shared with families of students known to be directly involved or affected.
“We also implemented several immediate actions, including increased adult supervision during break times.
“Additionally, the school runs a range of well-being programmes, which we are emphasising in the classroom to reinforce a culture of safety, respect, and positive behaviours” he said.
“To thoroughly assess the response and identify areas for improvement, the school then engaged an independent consultant to review the incident and its handling” Molloy said.
“The senior leadership team will be carefully reviewing the findings of this review, and will shortly be communicating relevant learnings and any next steps to the community as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.”
Molloy said “we are also being provided with advice and support from the Police and the Ministry of Education.
“While incidents like these are always concerning, they also provide valuable opportunities to strengthen our processes and reinforce the importance of safety and well-being across the school. Specific questions or concerns raised by parents are being addressed on a case-by-case basis.
To respect the privacy of all individuals involved, the school is unable to comment further on the specifics of the incident or the students involved.”
The Ministry of Education has been approached for comment, while police said they were investigating.
