No gun charges for SV students who brings airsoft gun

No charges will be filed against two Stillman Valley grade school students who had an airsoft pistol and an Airsoft gun at school or their parents.

Ogle County State's Attorney John B. Roe said Feb. 27 that after reviewing the case and applicable state statutes he has determined that no criminal charges, either adult or juvenile, are warranted.

"Neither student possessed either weapon with malicious intent, nor had the weapons been obtained or maintained in an illegal or reckless manner," Roe said.

Officials at Highland Grade School called the sheriff's department Feb. 20 when they found a .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun in the student's locker.

School officials discovered the gun while they were investigating an incident that occurred that morning on a school bus.

A school bus driver had found a grade school student on the bus with an Airsoft gun, which shoots plastic pellets propelled by air.

During the follow up investigation of that incident school officials learned that another weapon might have been brought to school by another student, an eight-year-old boy.

The airsoft handgun was found in the second student’s book bag inside that his locker.

Ogle County Sheriff Greg Beitel said the handgun was not loaded. Its ammunition magazine was empty and was not in the gun, and a loose bullet was found in the book bag.

Beitel said both guns came from a locked gun case belonging to the eight-year-old's father.

The youngster apparently found the key to the gun case, took the weapons, and then gave the Airsoft gun to the other student, he said.

"Fortunately the gun was not loaded and the magazine was stored separately," Beitel said.