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Man charged after boy hurt in accidental gun discharge inside Anne Arundel Co. elementary school

A man has been charged after a 7-year-old boy fired a gun inside a Glen Burnie elementary school on Wednesday.

Eashan John Stefanski, 34, of Pasadena, Maryland, was charged with leaving a loaded firearm accessible to a minor, Anne Arundel County police said in an update Thursday.

The charge follows an incident Wednesday morning at Freetown Elementary School in Glen Burnie, during which the boy accidentally discharged a firearm, injuring his hand. The child was taken to Baltimore Shock Trauma for treatment of injuries that authorities said were not life-threatening.

Detectives found that the gun was obtained from the child’s residence. Stefanski is the boyfriend of the child’s mother, The Baltimore Banner reported.

A teacher took possession of the firearm and rendered aid to the student, a police spokesperson said. None of the other children in the classroom were injured.

Freetown students were dismissed early Wednesday and returned to school Thursday morning.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell said crisis counselors would be available Wednesday and Thursday to handle any trauma in the school community.

“When we hear calls like this, especially involving children or elderly, it’s very unsettling for all of us, because there’s so many unknowns,” Anne Arundel County police Chief Amal Awad said during a news conference after the shooting.

WTOP’s Ciara Wells contributed to this report.

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