Gun in Dallas ISD student's backpack discharges in classroom

A gun in a Dallas ISD student’s backpack accidentally discharged in a classroom on Thursday.

No one was hurt or struck when the gun went off at Elijah M. Pease Elementary in East Oak Cliff, but students didn't know what was happening and thought somebody was taking shots at the school.

When Bianca McFail picked her kids up Thursday, she was shocked to hear what had happened.

“They were screaming, telling me someone shot from outside. A bullet came inside my niece's classroom,” McFail said.

There was a gun incident, but not like the children thought. McFail had to confront the school’s principal on Friday morning to find out exactly what happened.

“Me being a concerned parent, I went and talked to the principal and I was like, I want to know what’s going on because we weren't notified about whatever happened yesterday,” McFail said. “I told him what the kids told me and he was like, no, actually a child brought a gun to school in the classroom.”

The child apparently put the backpack down and the gun went off in the class.

Lanicia Davis, who picked her pre-k student up hours before the gun discharged, did get a call from the district.

“It was just an automated system letting me know that hey, this has occurred at your child's school and we just want to notify the parents of what went on,” Davis said.

Dallas ISD said in a statement on Friday: “Guns have no place in schools. While we are thankful no one was injured, this is a strong reminder for parents and our community to keep firearms, or any weapons, safely locked away and out of the reach of children.”

It’s not known how old the child involved is and if they were punished. DISD said the incident will be handled according to its student code of conduct handbook.