Dad Finds ‘Gun’ in 6-Year-Old Son’s Bag, But It’s Not What You Think

A dad’s post about a shocking discovery in his son’s bag ended with an unexpected twist that has gone viral on Reddit.

Nico, who goes by the username u/uffebuffe, shared his findings on the popular forum and racked up more than 24,000 upvotes. The 41-year-old, who doesn’t wish to share his surname, told Newsweek about the photo captioned, “My son is only 6 and I’m already finding guns in his bag,” but the object was less alarming than it first seemed; it was merely a stick that served as an impromptu toy gun, discovered during the boy’s walk home.

Nico, a construction worker, said: “The inspiration for the joke was I just smiled when I pulled out the ‘perfect’-looking handgun.

“I think all men remember finding the ‘perfect’ stick playing as young. It just reminds us of our childhood.”

While Nico’s first-grader son was only playing with a stick, gun crime, even among young children, is a prevalent issue in the U.S. On April 9, the former assistant principal of a Virginia school where a 6-year-old shot his teacher was charged with child neglect.

The Associated Press reported: “A special grand jury in Newport News found that Ebony Parker showed a reckless disregard for the lives of Richneck Elementary School students on Jan. 6, 2023, according to indictments unsealed Tuesday.

“Parker and other school officials already face a $40 million negligence lawsuit from the teacher who was shot, Abby Zwerner. She accuses Parker and others of ignoring multiple warnings the boy had a gun and was in a ‘violent mood’ the day of the shooting.

“Criminal charges against school officials following a school shootings are quite rare, experts say. Parker, 39, faces eight felony counts, each of which is punishable by up to five years in prison,” the report added.

This situation highlights the broader issues of gun control and school safety in the U.S. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), a research institute working in the area of global health statistics, found that the U.S. ranks seventh out of 65 for homicides by firearm.

However, gun violence accounts for zero deaths in Nico’s home country of Denmark. It is the second-most peaceful nation in the world, behind its Nordic neighbor Iceland, according to Statista. In Denmark, in 2022, the most-frequent crime that residents encountered was theft.

At the time of writing, the post shared on April 8 has amassed more than 600 comments. It seems Nico isn’t the only one who is feeling nostalgic either.

One user wrote: “That would have been such an epic stick to find as a kid. That’s the kind of stick me and my friends would fight over.”

“THIS IS A STICK UP!” posted another.

“For years I didn’t allow toy guns, but finally gave up because I didn’t see the point anymore. He’s grown up now and not obsessed with guns,” added a third commenter.

If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on Newsweek‘s “What Should I Do? section.