A 12-year-old girl who brought a pellet gun to school and shot a boy in the ear with it could face criminal charges, said Prince George RCMP Const. Lesley Smith.
"There is definitely the possibility of criminal charges, absolutely," Smith said of the incident which occurred on Thursday last week at the Aboriginal choice school, formerly Carney Hill elementary.
Whether the girl, whose name was not released, will be charged will depend on the outcome of an investigation.
"If it is determined that it was malicious in nature and was premeditated (charges will be laid)," Smith said.
The victim suffered a minor injury from the plastic pellet. He was taken to hospital for treatment but later released to his parents.
Police and School District 57 officials met with the student and her family, said Smith, to determine the reason behind the assault.
School district superintendent Brian Pepper declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing privacy concerns. He also said the parents of the victim will not be told the specifics of the consequences for the offender.
"This is sometimes frustrating for the parent of the victim especially at a time when emotions are running high," Pepper said. "As a principal, I was able to deal with this by reminding parents they would probably not want me discussing specifics about their child with other parents."
However, Pepper did say that whenever a significant threat is made, a team of district, school and appropriate community officials, like the RCMP, meet to examine the incident.
"I can assure you that issues of this type are not taken lightly," Pepper said.
See page three for related story on aboriginal choice school.
