THOMASVILLE, GA (WALB) - Thomasville police say an 8-year-old fired a gun while he was walking home from school with a group of children Wednesday.

It happened in the 600 block of Fletcher Street, just a few hundred feet from Harper Elementary, around 3:00 in the afternoon.

Detectives said the gun is legally owned by a family member of the child.

Police said that the child took the gun that morning without the owner's knowledge, and carried it to Harper Elementary in his backpack.

They said they don't believe he took it out during school hours.

Thomasville police have forwarded the case to the juvenile court authorities.

Copyright 2018 WALB. All rights reserved.