KINGSTON, Jamaica, Sep. 15, CMC – A seven year old who was found in possession of a submachine gun, has been placed in state care.
The police report that the weapon was taken from the child at a school in the southern parish of St Elizabeth last Thursday.
His siblings are also in the care of the state.
According to the CEO of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Laurette Adams-Thomas, as soon as the incident was brought to their attention, a team of first responders were dispatched to the location to secure the well-being of the child as well as the other children in the home.
Adams-Thomas also urged parents and guardians to be more diligent.
“It is imperative that parents be more vigilant about checking their children’s bags before they go to school to prevent them from taking dangerous or inappropriate items with them – be it weapons or pornographic materials or drug related items. These things do not only put your child at risk but it can also endanger the lives of other children as well as teachers at the institution,” she warned.
The CPFSA head encouraged persons to report any and all forms of child abuse using the 24-hour child abuse reporting hotline 211.
CMC/jm/kb/2024