Judge blasts mother as ‘supremely negligent’ after 8-year-old son sneaks gun into Disney Magnet School, wounds classmate

An Illinois mother was branded by a judge as “supremely negligent” after her 8-year-old son found her 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and snuck it into school, where it accidentally discharged and injured a 7-year-old boy.

Judge Michael Hogan made the comments Wednesday during a hearing for 28-year-old Tatanina Kelly, who is facing three misdemeanor counts of causing a child to be endangered. Her bond was set at $10,000, CBS News Chicago reported.

The charges against Kelly stem from an incident that occurred Tuesday inside a 2nd grade classroom at the Disney Magnet School, located in the Chicago neighborhood of Buena Park. The night prior, Kelly’s young son found a firearm stashed beneath his mother’s bed and put it in his backpack to bring to school.

The charges against Kelly stem from an incident that occurred Tuesday inside a 2nd grade classroom at the Disney Magnet School in Chicago. (Heather Charles / Chicago Tribune/)

Prosecutors said the gun was still in his bag when it went off, noting that the bullet struck the ground and then ricocheted, grazing a 7-year-old boy’s abdomen. A teacher in the room at the time rushed to his aid and immediately discovered the weapon, which she turned over to school security.

The victim was transported to Lurie Children’s Hospital for treatment and he remained in good condition.

“Our staff immediately intervened, secured the gun, and contacted the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the CPS Office of Safety and Security,” Disney Magnet School officials told parents in a letter.

“Thankfully, no one was seriously injured and everyone is safe. CPD responded to our school quickly and confiscated the gun. We are working closely with the CPS Office of Safety and Security to make a safety plan moving forward.”

During Kelly’s hearing on Wednesday, Hogan acknowledged “while this was not intentional,” the mother’s carelessness directly contributed to the classroom bloodshed.

Kelly, who legally owned the firearm, must post just $1,000 of her bond to be released.