Chalmette 12-year boy caught with handgun in a book bag at a school

A 12-year-old Chalmette boy was caught with a handgun in his book bag at Andrew Jackson Middle School on Monday morning and had shown it to classmates but didn’t threaten anyone, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The boy, whose name wasn’t released because he is a minor, was being booked with introduction of a weapon into a school, the sheriff said.

The incident happened just after 10 a.m. Monday. School authorities were alerted to the gun after students saw it, Sheriff Pohlmann said, and the Sheriff’s Office was notified.

An investigation so far hasn’t uncovered any plan by the student to use the weapon at the school.

The boy apparently took a gun his mother owns, the sheriff said.

Authorities don’t have any record of the boy being arrested before in St. Bernard Parish.