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Boy, 8, disciplined for bringing kitchen knife on bus, making comment about teacher

METHUEN, Mass. — An 8-year-old from Methuen brought a knife on the school bus Thursday morning and told other children he wanted to stab a teacher, police said.

The third-grader showed the kitchen knife to the other kids, who then alerted the bus driver, Methuen Police said. The bus driver called ahead by radio to notify the school, according to a recorded message sent to families from the supervising principal.

A school resource officer and school staff were waiting as the bus arrived to remove the boy and make sure the other students felt comfortable going to school. Police recovered the knife.

Both the school and Methuen police have completed investigations. The boy faces disciplinary action from the school and will receive a summons to Lawrence Juvenile Court, where a judge will also determine any services he should receive.

“We don’t want to prosecute young children like this,” Methuen Police Lt. Joseph Aiello said. “We want to be able to correct those actions and put that child in the right direction.”

Aiello credited the quick-thinking students and bus driver with potentially preventing anyone from getting hurt.

“We want to give those children credit,” Aiello said. “We always teach the student, if you hear something, see something, say something. And those students were very brave and immediately alerted the bus driver as to the weapon that was on the bus.”

“I am so proud of the students and the bus driver who all responded appropriately and so responsibly,” the recorded message from the school said.

The supervising principal said in the message the school also planned to follow up with a personal call to kids who were on the bus.

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