The 9-year-old boy who took a handgun to school that accidentally discharged, seriously injuring a third grade classmate, told a Washington court, "I'm sorry," after pleading guilty to three criminal charges, the Seattle Times reports.
The third-grader, who attended the Armin Jahr Elementary School in Bremerton, pleaded guilty to possession of a gun, bringing a dangerous weapon to school, and reckless endangerment.
The paper reports that under a plea agreement, the boy will be required to complete 48 hours of community service, before serving 12 months of probation.
On Feb. 22, the child carried a .45 caliber handgun to school in his backpack, according to police, the Associated Press reports.
The gun accidentally fired after the boy slammed the backpack down. Amina Kocer-Bowman, an 8-year-old classmate, was shot. She remains in serious condition after five surgeries, and is now on a ventilator to help her breathe, according to HeraldNet.
The boy is now expected to testify against his mother, Jamie Lee Passmore, and her boyfriend, Douglas Bauer, who are accused of allowing him access to the gun, according to King5.com.
The boy and his siblings live with an uncle along with their father.
John Bowman, the girl's father, disagreed with the plea deal, telling the news station that the boy should have known bringing a gun to school was wrong.
"It's unfortunate but we can't make excuses for this circumstances, for his actions," Bowman told King5. "That's totally unacceptable."
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