Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 22, 1995                   TAG: 9504240035
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MANASSAS                                LENGTH: Medium

GIRL CHARGED AFTER GUN GOES OFF IN SCHOOL

The 13-year-old at Fred Lynn Middle School in Prince William County was showing the .38-caliber handgun to a friend Wednesday when the gun accidentally went off, said Kim Chinn, a Prince William County police spokeswoman. Police are not releasing the pupil's name because she is a minor.

The bullet went through two desks and a teacher's sweater that was draped over a stool, the school's principal said. The 16 pupils and the teacher were unharmed, officials said.

The girl also was charged Thursday with discharging a firearm in a public place.

``We're very, very fortunate no one was hurt,'' said Prince William School Superintendent Edward L. Kelly. ``This isn't a problem only affecting a particular locality, gender, race or social-economic group. It's happening all over.''

Kelly said the last time a gun was fired at a Prince William school was six years ago, when a high school student was shot and wounded by an unauthorized visitor. The last firearm found on school property was an unloaded handgun found in a locker more than a year ago.

According to police, the girl arrested Wednesday was having problems with female classmates and may have brought the gun from home to intimidate them. Police said the girl told them she had concealed it in her waistband underneath a baggy shirt during the school day.

School officials said the girl told them that the gun became uncomfortable while she was in class about 2:30 p.m. so she put it in her desk. Moments later, the firearm went off.

The girl was new to the 1,100-student middle school this year and hadn't been a problem until Wednesday. School officials said they are moving to expel the girl.

Kelly said he has tried during the past two years to crack down on weapons in schools, but it's a frustrating job.

``We're at our wits' end. When are parents and society going to wake up and see that kids are taking guns to school ... and understand this incident could have killed two people?'' he said.

Last year, Prince William schools expelled 21 students for having weapons on school grounds. This year, there have been 20 such expulsions involving mostly knives and pellet and toy guns.