Parents upset over lack of details about BB gun incident at Royal ISD school in Waller County

PATTISON, Texas (KTRK) -- Questions remain about an incident involving a Royal Elementary student who brought a BB gun to school and shot two other students on Friday.

District officials said those students were not hurt. But some parents feel upset and confused, not knowing what's being done to prevent this from happening again.

Qiana Robinson said she first heard about the incident when she picked up her fifth grader from school. Her son, who has autism, told her a student in his class had brought a BB gun to school.

"He said, 'Someone was shot, and they went to the nurse, but never came back to the classroom after that.' No one in the front office said anything when I picked him up early," Robinson said.

Robinson gave her son's school credit when it comes to visitors on campus, but she was still alarmed to hear that some type of weapon made it through.

"It makes me concerned and scared. I don't want to be worried every day that I send my son to school. They have a great system with parents not getting through the doors," she added. "But what about students not bringing in a potentially deadly weapon? Do we have to have metal detectors in the schools at this point?"

Royal ISD said they sent a notice via text, email, phone, website, and social media around 2:40 p.m., confirming that two students had been shot but were not injured.

ABC13 obtained their statement, which said in part:

"The parents of both students have been notified. The item was confiscated, and the proper steps were taken to secure the situation. All students are safe and there is not an active threat. The campus counselor will be available for any students in need of assistance due to the incident. The highest priority at Royal ISD is the safety of our students, staff, and community."

However, some parents said they didn't receive the message. Robinson said she received a text that instructed her to read her email. She feels upset and confused, believing the school should've handled communication with parents more urgently.

"We should have that comfort and safety with our students. The school should have done more by reaching out to those parents, specifically in that classroom. Sending a text, an email is not enough. It could have been a lot worse," she said.

Parents like Robinson also want to know: How did the student get the BB gun into the school? What is being done to discipline the student who had the BB gun? Will their parents face any charges? How will the district prevent this from happening again?

A spokesperson with Royal ISD said the case was "referred to law enforcement, and next steps will be made according to the discipline code of conduct."

Requests for comment from Royal ISD Police and Waller County's Juvenile Probation have not been answered as of Monday evening.

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