Parents: Woman pulls gun on kids at North Philadelphia school

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Parents went to a North Philadelphia school Friday morning demanding more protection for their children following a letter officials sent home referencing a scary altercation on school property.

Parents say a woman threatened their children with a gun outside Bayard Taylor Elementary School on Thursday.

Four students allegedly exchanged words with a woman outside the schoolyard when she reprimanded them for cursing.

When they told her to shut up, the boys say she threatened them with a gun.

Parents say the woman threatening the kids actually showed them a gun she had in her car.

"She just walked out and told them, 'I got a gun in the car.' They thought she was playing. She went to her car, pulled out the gun. The kids thought it was a play gun until she pulled out the clip and saw the bullets and everything on it," Maria Pabon said.

Pabon's grandson was among the children who say they were threatened. He explains, "She said, 'I'm going to go to my car and shoot you... get a gun and shoot y'all.' So she went to her car, she pulled out the gun."

Police tell Action News that they have located the woman who was involved in the verbal confrontation outside the school.

Police say they have searched the woman's car and house and have not found the gun the students alleged she used to threaten them.

A letter from the principal sent home with students on Thursday assured parents that Philadelphia police and school police would be present during arrival and dismissal.

However, parents say there were no police Friday morning.

The school district says the police were unaware that the principal told parents they would see extra protection Friday morning, but an officer was stationed at the school at dismissal time.

We tried to talk to Principal David Laver, but he refused to address the threat or what, if anything, the school is doing about it.

Parents say, gun or no gun, the kids need more police protection.