An 11-year-old boy was found with a .40 caliber handgun in his backpack Monday at East Paulding Middle School, authorities say.
The boy's classmates alerted school administrators about the gun, and they in turn contacted the Paulding sheriff. A deputy with the department's school resource office responded and took the gun from the student without incident, sheriff's spokesman Brandon Gurley said. "It wasn't loaded, but he did have ammunition on him," Gurley said.
The boy was charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds and released to his mother's custody, per a juvenile judge's order.
Gurley said investigators are still trying to determine the student's motive for carrying the gun on campus, adding that the weapon's owner -- believed to be one of the boy's parents -- is unlikely to face charges.
