6-Year-Old Takes Stolen Gun to School: Mother Faces Multiple Charges

Ke’Erinie King | Memphis Police Department

A 22-year-old mother, Ke’Erinie King, has been charged with child abuse and neglect, along with several other offenses, after her 6-year-old son brought a loaded handgun to school.

On the morning of August 5, 2023, police responded to reports of a child with a gun on school property. A school resource officer at Geeter Elementary School in Memphis, TN, called 911 after the 6-year-old was spotted passing the weapon to other students. The school staff acted quickly, getting the loaded 9mm Ruger handgun from the child’s backpack, according to the affidavit.

During the investigation, police ran the gun’s serial number and found out that it had been stolen. Ke’Erinie, the child’s mother, admitted to buying the weapon from an “unknown person,” but she wasn’t aware that it had been stolen.

Ke’Erinie was charged with child abuse and neglect, carrying a weapon on school property, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was booked into the Shelby County Jail and then later released without bond. She’s scheduled to appear in court on October 4, 2024.

Ke’Erinie mother, Lakeisha Williams, defended her daughter saying,

“They made it look as if she gave the child a gun to take to school or she had it somewhere where he can just go and pick it up. We don’t have our guns lying around for kids to just go and easily get them. My grandson went out of his way. He pulled up a little chair and got his mom, and he got a hold of that gun. Sometimes, as parents, maybe we need to not let our kids know exactly where we hide our guns, and also when you purchase a gun off the street, make sure that is a clean gun because you don’t know what you’re purchasing off the street these days and where they come from.”

Memphis-Shelby County Schools also released a statement, acknowledging the swift response of the school’s resource officers and emphasizing the importance of parents checking their children’s belongings before sending them to school.

“We encourage all parents and guardians to check their students’ backpacks before they come to school each day. It is also important to discuss the serious consequences of bringing any weapon or replica weapon to school.”

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