6-year-old brings loaded gun to Virginia elementary school

ORANGE, Va. — Sheriff's deputies in Orange, Virginia, say a 6-year-old student brought a loaded gun to a school on Monday afternoon. The sheriff's office said the gun was found in the student's backpack by an instructional assistant. 

Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies were contacted by Orange Elementary School's school resource officer (SRO) about the gun just before 1 p.m. The school was placed on a shelter in place, and the SRO and a school staff member took the backpack away from the student. 

The sheriff's office's investigation found that the student brought the gun to campus, where it was found. The investigation did not reveal why the student brought the loaded gun to school. 

Deputies say no one was hurt and no threats were made before the gun was discovered. The investigation is ongoing. So far, no arrests have been made. All students at the school were safe, the sheriff's office said. 

Out of an abundance of caution, the sheriff's office planned to have additional law enforcement on campus on Tuesday.

"The safety and security of our students and school staff remain our top priority," the sheriff's office said in a press statement. 

Additional details were not immediately available, according to the sheriff's office.

Orange, Virginia, has a population of about 5,000 people located roughly 88 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.