In Birmingham, Alabama, a concerning discovery was made on Friday morning at the Levite Jewish Community Center’s Cohn Early Childhood Learning Center when a firearm was found inside a 4-year-old’s backpack.
The center’s CEO, Brooke Bowles, explained that the child’s father contacted the center after realizing he had accidentally left the gun in his child’s bag.
Upon being informed, the Levite JCC’s security personnel swiftly intervened, securing the weapon from the child’s backpack, which was located in the hallway, away from the classroom. The situation was handled discreetly, ensuring that the class continued uninterrupted and the children remained unaware of the incident.
Expressing relief, Bowles stated, “We are grateful that everyone on our Levite JCC campus is safe and that the incident this morning was resolved efficiently and without harm.”
Following the incident, the child was removed from all programs at the Levite JCC, and a report was subsequently filed with the police.
“Considering our deep concern for the welfare of everyone — especially children — who come through our doors, combined with our understandably restrictive firearms policy, sadly we had no choice but to disenroll the student,” Bowles explained in a statement.