The day after a third-grade student brought a gun to Lee Hill Elementary School in Spotsylvania County, the students’ parents were each charged with one felony and one misdemeanor.
Ciara Armstead, 36, and Terrence Carroll Jr., 34, were charged with felony child endangerment. They also face a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment of a child under the age of 14 by leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm accessible to them.
A Taurus 9mm handgun in the boy’s backpack went off Monday morning when he inadvertently pulled the trigger while retrieving another item from his bag. No one was injured, and the teacher quickly evacuated 26 students from the classroom.
Spotsylvania Superintendent Clint Mitchell lauded Lee Hill staff for their response to the incident, saying in a phone interview that faculty members “did an amazing job, kudos to them.”
Armstead and Carroll, who cooperated with the investigation, were released on $5,000 unsecured bond. Both will be arraigned April 11 in Spotsylvania Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. The child will not be charged, a determination made following consultation with Spotsylvania County Juvenile Intake and the Commonwealth’s Attorney office.
