A seven-year-old student turned up to an elementary school with a loaded gun in their backpack.
Police were called to Up Academy Holland School in Boston at around 3.30pm on Thursday following reports of a child carrying a firearm.
Boston cops arrived at the school and found a loaded weapon in the 7-year-old's backpack which was revealed to be a semi-automatic gun.
The firearm was taken off the student as police investigate how the gun came into the child's possession.
Authorities including the Boston Police Department and Boston Police School Unit are trying to establish how the pupil turned up to school with the gun.
Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper said in a statement: "We have to ask ourselves how a very young student becomes in possession of and gains access to a firearm.
"I don’t have the words. This is truly devastating."
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the school, which has nearly 800 pupils, should be praised for quickly finding the gun and liaising with police.
She said: "No child should be near a weapon, much less directly endangered at such a young age.
"Thanks to the swift action and coordination of school staff, Boston police, and first responders, this situation was immediately identified and safely addressed."
Superintendent Mary Skipper tried to reassure parents following the discovery as the state bids to keep students safe.
She added: "We’re working with all of our city and state partners every day, multiple times a day, to address safety concerns, strategise new tactics to keep students safe, and create synergy in our responses to emergencies.
"We’re grateful to BPD and first responders who were on the scene immediately. But we cannot do this work alone. When a young person gets access to a gun out of accessibility, we really have to ask ourselves, how does this happen?”
Boston City Councillor Erin Murphy revealed authorities are trying to work out how long the child had the gun in their backpack for.
The councillor expressed concern at the discovery as she wants to find out the motive behind a child wanting to bring a gun to their school - or whether the parents placed it there.
Ms Murphy said: “Finding out a child as young as seven, loaded gun in his bag is really – it’s scary.
"It’s scary for him, the child, knowing he’s exposed to that, and just for his classmates, his teacher."
The school have not disclosed what disciplinary actions the child may face.
Police are investigating whether the weapon had been there for days or weeks - as parents want to know how the gun appeared in the child's backpack.
