Parents outraged that child brought guns to school in East Granby

EAST GRANBY, CT (WFSB) - School and town officials met with upset parents on Monday after a child brought two guns to school last week.

Officials said it happened at Carl Allgrove Elementary School in East Granby last Friday.

The owner of the guns, 32-year-old Kenneth Pariaug, was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a child.

Police said Pariaug is the father of the child who brought the guns into school.

On Monday, East Granby police, the Board of Education, and town officials met with parents to hear their concerns and answer their questions.

Parents hoped their questions were answered, but they were warned that there was only so much police could say because of the child’s privacy.

Parents were also looking to air their frustrations concerning how the situation was handled.

They said the school notified them hours after the incident occurred. In response, the school superintendent said they were being guided by police and apologized for not sending text messages out to parents. At Monday’s meeting, school officials admitted communication should have been better.

Parents also questioned why school officials did not immediately put the school into lockdown. School leaders said at the time the guns were taken to a safe place and a lockdown was not needed.

“This threat was contained immediately. We would typically go into a lockdown when there is an active threat or ongoing situation,” said superintendent Melissa F. Bavaro-Grande.

Parents were also shocked to learn police didn’t search the entire school.

Police assured parents that it was an isolated incident and the threat was contained.

The school booked extra patrols until the end of the week, but parents said the school should have extra security next week as well.

“You don’t know what people are thinking and this is the kind of thing that people can snap or they feel like they have nothing left to lose and they come back and do other things. I’m not going to send my kid back if you are not going to keep police there. That’s crazy,” one parent said at the meeting.

Parents also asked if the guns were loaded, but police did not want to answer that question.

Pariaug was released and given court hearing next week.

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