Houston mom pulls gun on another mom in school drop-off line

HOUSTON -- Two parents had a disagreement that ended with one pointing a gun at another this morning at the drop-off lane of a Houston elementary school Thursday, according to the principal.

The incident was witnessed not only by the moms' children, but also other parents.

Neighbors said the two women began arguing while waiting to drop off their kids, with one mom apparently mad over how the other mom had been driving in the school zone. That's when witnesses say they began arguing, with one mom pulling out a gun and threatening the other woman.

Their kids were in their cars the entire time, but no one was injured and no shots fired. But it was still very scary, according to witnesses.

The school sent out this letter to parents Thursday:

Dear Parent/Guardian,
I'm writing to inform you of an incident involving two parents that took place in the drop-off lane at Deer Park Elementary this morning. As students were being dropped off before school this morning, the two parents were involved in a disagreement. The confrontation escalated, ending with one parent pointing a firearm at the other. Other parents witnessed the disagreement, and the police were contacted and quickly arrived on the scene.

Unfortunately, children were in both of the vehicles involved, and students were present in other nearby vehicles as well. No one was injured in the incident. In fact, the weapon was never used. But what should have been a reasonably safe drop-off process quickly became a police investigation.

At our school, teaching students the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in life is our goal and purpose. But we don't just teach language arts or science or mathematics or fine arts. We also teach children the appropriate way to resolve conflicts. It's not unusual for there to be disagreements between students at our school, but we always encourage children to seek a peaceful end to the conflict.

At one time or another, we've all experienced frustration while driving. But, as our students know all too well, it's never a good idea to react when emotions are high. My hope is that we can all look at what happened this morning and reconsider how we deal with disagreements and anger in our lives. Conflicts such as the one that took place this morning have no place at our school. Keeping our schools safe for our children and community is our highest priority, but we can't do it alone. It takes all of us being aware of our surroundings, reporting suspicious activities, and using good judgment and restraint when disagreements arise.
Staff members are trained through the Crisis Prevention Institute, giving them the ability to intervene using specific techniques to de-escalate a crisis situation. In this way, we are able to assure the Care, Welfare, Safety and Security for all students and staff at our school. I have included a crisis prevention resource at the link below.

In closing, I want to thank you in advance for doing your part to keep Deer Park Elementary a place where our students feel safe and secure.

Sincerely,
Lisa McLaughlin
Principal, Deer Park Elementary