11-year-old Michigan student expelled after dismantling a loaded gun a classmate brought to school.

[Lexx Diamond]

​

11-Year-Old Expelled After Taking Gun Away from Classmate, Friend Says He 'Acted Out of Courage and Compassion'​

A Michigan school accused the preteen of possessing a weapon after he disassembled the gun

By
Charlotte Phillipp

Published on September 21, 2025 09:50PM EDT
41Comments

Dwight Rich School of the Arts in Lansing, Mich.Credit :
Google Maps

NEED TO KNOW​

• The mother of a Michigan elementary school student is speaking out after her son was expelled for taking a gun away from a classmate
• Savitra McClurkin said her 11-year-old son was expelled after administrators learned that he took a gun away from a fellow student and used his hunting knowledge to disarm and disassemble the weapon before throwing away the bullets
• The school accused him of possessing a weapon and expelled him for one year

The mother of a Michigan elementary school student is speaking out after her son was expelled for taking a gun away from a classmate.

Lansing mom Savitra McClurkin told local outlet WILX in a Sept. 19 interview that her 11-year-old son was expelled from Dwight Rich School of the Arts back in May after his classmate brought a gun to campus.

According to McClurkin, her child is being punished for something she considers heroic, as he believed he was helping the other students around him.

"I'm frustrated. I'm at my wits' end. I don't know what to do," McClurkin told WILX.

Back in May, WLNS and the Lansing State Journal reported that a disassembled, unloaded weapon was found inside the school. Police later arrested a 12-year-old boy, whose name has not been made public.

McClurkin told WILX that her son allegedly spotted his classmate carrying the gun, and he used his hunting knowledge to disarm and disassemble the weapon before throwing away the bullets.

"He didn't want to implicate himself in it, nor did he want to tell on the person that actually brought the firearm," she told the outlet. "Because he knows firearms aren't supposed to be in school."

In a GoFundMe established to help pay for the preteen's homeschooling, a family friend wrote that the 11-year-old's first instinct was not "to run away — it was to protect his classmates."

"On what could have been a tragic and devastating day ... [he] acted out of courage and compassion," the fundraiser message reads.

When school administrators eventually learned that the 11-year-old had handled the weapon, they expelled him for possessing a gun, removing him from school for one year, his mother said.

"Instead of being recognized as a hero, [he] is now being treated like a criminal," the GoFundMe post states of the child. "He has been expelled and barred from all school platforms, despite being an A/B student, a respectful young man, and an athlete who has been playing sports since he was 6 years old."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The frustrated mother added that she has been trying to get in contact with the Lansing School District to discuss the matter, and even made an appearance at a recent board meeting.

"He's 11 years old. Seventh grade. Never been in trouble before," McClurkin said at the meeting, addressing the school board.

In a statement provided to PEOPLE, Lansing School District Director of Public Safety Dale Person and Executive Director of School Culture Cordelia Black said the expulsion was not a decision administrators took "lightly."

"In May 2025, a serious incident involving a firearm occurred at Dwight Rich Middle School. After a thorough investigation, and in accordance with Michigan law regarding dangerous weapons on school property, the Lansing School District determined that expulsion was necessary," the statement said.

"Expulsion is never a decision the district takes lightly. It is always considered a last resort," the statement continued. "However, Michigan law provides very clear direction in cases involving dangerous weapons. The investigation — which included statements and video evidence — left no ambiguity and required this outcome."

"The Lansing School District has both a legal and moral responsibility to ensure the safety of all students and staff," the statement concluded. "While this decision is difficult, our priority remains creating and maintaining a secure environment where learning can take place without fear. Upholding these standards is essential to protecting our school community."

According to McClurkin, her son is now enrolled in a non-accredited online program to keep him on track until another decision can be made about his future at school.

"Online schools are honoring [the school district's] decision," she told WILX. "Nor did they provide us a different resource or a different avenue to go."

The GoFundMe page states that because of the "sudden expulsion, the preteen's mother has had to take on the enormous challenge of educating him at home. This has forced her to cut back on work, creating serious financial strain on their household."

"They are setting my child up for failure," McClurkin told WILX. "They’re setting him up to being a statistic, and I've been doing everything in my will and my power to keep him from that."

"It's devastating because he's a bright kid and all he wants to do is be a kid," she added.

For more information on safe firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visit BeSMARTforkids.org.

Loading…

people.com

 

[RUDY RAYYY MO]

Betty White

 

[jawnswoop]

​

11-Year-Old Expelled After Taking Gun Away from Classmate, Friend Says He 'Acted Out of Courage and Compassion'​

A Michigan school accused the preteen of possessing a weapon after he disassembled the gun

By
Charlotte Phillipp

Published on September 21, 2025 09:50PM EDT
41Comments

Dwight Rich School of the Arts in Lansing, Mich.Credit :
Google Maps

NEED TO KNOW​

• The mother of a Michigan elementary school student is speaking out after her son was expelled for taking a gun away from a classmate
• Savitra McClurkin said her 11-year-old son was expelled after administrators learned that he took a gun away from a fellow student and used his hunting knowledge to disarm and disassemble the weapon before throwing away the bullets
• The school accused him of possessing a weapon and expelled him for one year

The mother of a Michigan elementary school student is speaking out after her son was expelled for taking a gun away from a classmate.

Lansing mom Savitra McClurkin told local outlet WILX in a Sept. 19 interview that her 11-year-old son was expelled from Dwight Rich School of the Arts back in May after his classmate brought a gun to campus.

According to McClurkin, her child is being punished for something she considers heroic, as he believed he was helping the other students around him.

"I'm frustrated. I'm at my wits' end. I don't know what to do," McClurkin told WILX.

Back in May, WLNS and the Lansing State Journal reported that a disassembled, unloaded weapon was found inside the school. Police later arrested a 12-year-old boy, whose name has not been made public.

McClurkin told WILX that her son allegedly spotted his classmate carrying the gun, and he used his hunting knowledge to disarm and disassemble the weapon before throwing away the bullets.

"He didn't want to implicate himself in it, nor did he want to tell on the person that actually brought the firearm," she told the outlet. "Because he knows firearms aren't supposed to be in school."

In a GoFundMe established to help pay for the preteen's homeschooling, a family friend wrote that the 11-year-old's first instinct was not "to run away — it was to protect his classmates."

"On what could have been a tragic and devastating day ... [he] acted out of courage and compassion," the fundraiser message reads.

When school administrators eventually learned that the 11-year-old had handled the weapon, they expelled him for possessing a gun, removing him from school for one year, his mother said.

"Instead of being recognized as a hero, [he] is now being treated like a criminal," the GoFundMe post states of the child. "He has been expelled and barred from all school platforms, despite being an A/B student, a respectful young man, and an athlete who has been playing sports since he was 6 years old."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The frustrated mother added that she has been trying to get in contact with the Lansing School District to discuss the matter, and even made an appearance at a recent board meeting.

"He's 11 years old. Seventh grade. Never been in trouble before," McClurkin said at the meeting, addressing the school board.

In a statement provided to PEOPLE, Lansing School District Director of Public Safety Dale Person and Executive Director of School Culture Cordelia Black said the expulsion was not a decision administrators took "lightly."

"In May 2025, a serious incident involving a firearm occurred at Dwight Rich Middle School. After a thorough investigation, and in accordance with Michigan law regarding dangerous weapons on school property, the Lansing School District determined that expulsion was necessary," the statement said.

"Expulsion is never a decision the district takes lightly. It is always considered a last resort," the statement continued. "However, Michigan law provides very clear direction in cases involving dangerous weapons. The investigation — which included statements and video evidence — left no ambiguity and required this outcome."

"The Lansing School District has both a legal and moral responsibility to ensure the safety of all students and staff," the statement concluded. "While this decision is difficult, our priority remains creating and maintaining a secure environment where learning can take place without fear. Upholding these standards is essential to protecting our school community."

According to McClurkin, her son is now enrolled in a non-accredited online program to keep him on track until another decision can be made about his future at school.

"Online schools are honoring [the school district's] decision," she told WILX. "Nor did they provide us a different resource or a different avenue to go."

The GoFundMe page states that because of the "sudden expulsion, the preteen's mother has had to take on the enormous challenge of educating him at home. This has forced her to cut back on work, creating serious financial strain on their household."

"They are setting my child up for failure," McClurkin told WILX. "They’re setting him up to being a statistic, and I've been doing everything in my will and my power to keep him from that."

"It's devastating because he's a bright kid and all he wants to do is be a kid," she added.

For more information on safe firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visit BeSMARTforkids.org.

Loading…

people.com

I mean you can do everything right but they still will find a way to say you were wrong.

I hope this get national attention from the media and that young brotha get rewarded for what he did since he saved lives that day which could've been fatal.

Somebody needs to start a gofundme to put him in a better school.

He should also get some scholarships as a gift as well.

 

[34real]

after her son was expelled for taking a gun away from a classmate

Was the student white?

Some of them people want something bad to happen and they can't say other wise cause there's no way he should be expelled for doing what the teacher didn't do.

Lawyer up,sue and remove him from that school period.

 

[Coldchi]

Had a white student did that, they'd be throwing him a parade.

 

[the artist]

Michigan mom says 11-year-old son was expelled after dismantling classmate's loaded gun at school

The incident happened in May at Dwight Rich School of the Arts in Lansing after a student allegedly brought a loaded gun to school.

www.nbcnews.com

Michigan mom says 11-year-old son was expelled after dismantling classmate's loaded gun at school​

The incident happened in May at Dwight Rich School of the Arts in Lansing after a student allegedly brought a loaded gun to school.




Michigan mother says her son was expelled after disarming classmate
01:44
https://www.nbcnews.com/watch


Sept. 23, 2025, 10:35 AM EDT
By Minyvonne Burke
A Michigan woman said her 11-year-old son was expelled after he disassembled a loaded gun his classmate brought to school.

Savitra McClurkin said she has been trying to enroll her son, Sakir Everett, into another school ever since he was abruptly kicked out of Dwight Rich School of the Arts in Lansing in May.



"I'm upset with everybody," McClurkin said in a phone interview Monday. "I'm not just mad at the district, I'm mad at some of these teachers, administrators, as well as the city, because they did not handle this right."

In a statement, the Lansing School District said it issued its decision "after a thorough investigation, including review of video evidence, numerous witness statements, and careful deliberation, as well as a disciplinary hearing."

The incident happened after an unidentified student allegedly brought a loaded gun to the middle school. McClurkin said the student pulled out the gun in a bathroom and "gave my son a firearm."

"Like here, take this, hold on to this," she said.


Sakir, who knows how to hunt and learned about gun safety from his godfather, knew the weapon was not allowed in school.

"Sakir's natural reaction was there's no way I'm going to hold on to this gun all day," his mother said. "He proceeded to go to class ... and dismantled it in class. There was a teacher in class and everything. People were around and everything."

After her son took the gun apart, McClurkin said, he "put it inside of a heater" in the classroom and threw the bullets in a garbage can.

"He didn't want it on his person, but he didn't want nobody to mess with it," she said about why her son dismantled the firearm.

Asked why Sakir did not immediately tell an adult about the gun, McClurkin said it was because he was scared and was never taught what to do in that situation.

Sakir Everett.Courtesy Savitra McClurkin via WILX
Other students eventually told an administrator about the firearm, she said.


The district said in its statement that "the full account of the incident has not been reported" but that it could not comment further because of privacy laws.

​

​

"Disciplinary action would not have been warranted for disarming another student," the district said. "Please know, however, that the safety of our students and staff remains our paramount interest, and decisions will continue to be made in accordance with that principle."

According to the district, police took the student who brought the firearm into custody. Lansing police did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

McClurkin appeared at a Lansing School Board meeting Thursday to try to get answers, NBC affiliate WILX reported.

"He’s 11 years old. Seventh grade. Never been in trouble before," she told the board.

McClurkin told NBC News that she is still fighting to resolve the situation. She also accused the district of failing to give her an alternative option for her son. Since May, he has been denied admission to four schools because of the expulsion on his record, she said.


In the meantime, she's keeping him busy with sports and an unaccredited online schooling program.

"They really just did, not just my son, they did me wrong, too. All I’m trying to do is just be a good parent and make sure that my son is getting an education," she said.
Minyvonne Burke
Minyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.

 

[bgbtylvr]

Had a white student did that, they'd be throwing him a parade.

This is why you teach your kids that cacs are born with the benefit of the doubt and being a hero has to be selective. You have to see cac narratives before they play out. “Why was an 11-year old so proficient and disassembling a gun?” is all that’s needed to make the cac kid look curious and the black boy the threat.

 

[Database Error]

Damn that's fucked up.

 

[Simply Sickenin']

someone just tell me what happened to the kid who brought the gun to school in the 1st place.

---

 

[Database Error]

someone just tell me what happened to the kid who brought the gun to school in the 1st place.

---

He was arrested

"Back in May, WLNS and the Lansing State Journal reported that a disassembled, unloaded weapon was found inside the school. Police later arrested a 12-year-old boy, whose name has not been made public."

 

[Simply Sickenin']

He was arrested

"Back in May, WLNS and the Lansing State Journal reported that a disassembled, unloaded weapon was found inside the school. Police later arrested a 12-year-old boy, whose name has not been made public."

So....
If I'm reading between the lines correctly, the white boy who brought the gun to school in first place is having his name protected.

While the HERO black kid who probably saved everyone from a school shooting, had his name, face, & family dragged thru the mud in public.

Amerikkka

 

[Database Error]

So....
If I'm reading between the lines correctly, the white boy who brought the gun to school in first place is having his name protected.

While the HERO black kid who probably saved everyone from a school shooting, had his name, face, & family dragged thru the mud in public.

Amerikkka

You know it

 

[doug777]

So....
If I'm reading between the lines correctly, the white boy who brought the gun to school in first place is having his name protected.

While the HERO black kid who probably saved everyone from a school shooting, had his name, face, & family dragged thru the mud in public.

Amerikkka

The 12 year old with the gun was arrested, I think the reason we know the name of the 11 year old is because his mom went to the press.

 

[woodchuck]

He fucked up the plan.

 

[Piff Henderson]

So....
If I'm reading between the lines correctly, the white boy who brought the gun to school in first place is having his name protected.

While the HERO black kid who probably saved everyone from a school shooting, had his name, face, & family dragged thru the mud in public.

Amerikkka

He's a minor. The press usually doesn't publish the names of minors but I'm not sure if that's a legal thing or just standards and practices of certain publications.

We know the identity of the kid who dismantled the gun because his mother, rightfully, went to the press over his unfair treatment.