Bartlesville Police arrest 9-year-old for firing gel blaster at students

Bartlesville Police arrested a nine-year-old on Wednesday for bringing a gel blaster to school and shooting at students.

The Washington County District Attorney's Office says police then turned the child over to its parents.

Nobody was seriously hurt.

Full statement from the Washington County District Attorney's Office:

"The District Attorney’s Office takes any threat to school safety seriously, a sentiment that is echoed throughout the Bartlesville community. There was an allegation that on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, a nine-year-old student at Hoover Elementary brought a gel blaster to school and was firing on students.

We support the decision of the Bartlesville Police Department to swiftly intervene and control the situation. It was reported from BPD that initial observations were of panicked children scattering away from the child who was firing what was ultimately determined to be a gel blaster.

The child was arrested and released directly to the custody of their parents. Any further development with the case will be handled by the Office of Juvenile Affairs through confidential juvenile proceedings.

There are a multitude of factors that are considered when determining whether to detain a child, including the child’s age and the severity of the crime. As there were no serious physical injuries and the child is only nine years old, it was appropriate to release the juvenile to the custody of their parents rather than place them in a juvenile detention center.

We all know kids will make mistakes, but we also believe in accountability. There is no evidence this was targeted conduct or a future safety threat. We believe strongly that the procedures in place by Bartlesville Public Schools and the Bartlesville Police Department are working to ensure the safety of all students."