KENT, Ohio — A 9-year-old boy tried to warn two adults at his Kent elementary school about a loaded handgun on the playground before anyone took action, according to his mother. And nearly two weeks later, what school officials have told the family contradicts what one of those adults has told police — leaving the question of who knew what and when at the center of an unresolved investigation.
The incident at Longcoy Elementary School on April 2 resulted in the arrest of Gloria Luster, the 34-year-old mother of an 8-year-old student who brought a loaded 9mm handgun to school in his backpack. Luster was charged with endangering children and has pleaded not guilty.
A 3News Investigates review of the incident — including interviews with the boy’s mother, the Kent Police Department, and a national school safety expert, along with the principal’s call to police — reveals more than what was initially revealed to the public, and raises concerns about school safety.
The playground
When Sarah Wesley’s son saw a classmate flash a gun on the playground during recess, he did what he had been taught to do…