In the wake of a shooting that left one Huntsville student injured this week, hundreds of parents, teachers and community leaders packed the cafeteria at Blossomwood Elementary for a forum tonight.

Superintendent Christie Finley reiterated plans to form a task force that will consider new security measures, including a district-wide clear backpack policy and installing metal detectors in city schools.

"We have to work together, Finley said. "We have an engaged parent group right here, but it's not enough. It's about parent accountability. Parents need to be accountable if they have guns and children can access them. It's a problem."

The accidental shooting happened Monday morning during a gym class when two second-grade students were playing with a gun in the bathroom, officials said. Huntsville police said the student who brought the gun to campus was shot in the hand as he was passing the gun to another student.

The gun was in police custody within minutes, and a teacher immediately sought medical treatment for the injured student.

Earlier today, police arrested the father of the student who brought the gun to school. Letroy Cole Jr. is charged with receiving stolen property and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, records show.

At tonight's forum, Finley, Principal Jamie Burton and other city leaders, including Police Chief Mark McMurray and Mayor Tommy Battle stressed the importance of parental responsibility.

"Let's encourage our parents to be parents," McMurray said. "It's your responsibility to lock (your guns) down."

The chief said parents should check their children's backpacks, lunchboxes and other bags every day before school.

School and city officials spent the first 45 minutes of the meeting making statements and addressing concerns they've heard from the community during the past two days. Parents wrote questions on note cards, and officials spent about 30 minutes addressing those concerns. For time reasons, some questions weren't answered at tonight's meeting, but Finley said answers will be posted on the school's website soon.

The primary question among parents was what disciplinary actions the students who were involved in the shooting could face. The crowd applauded as parents pressed officials to say how the students will be punished.

"They're not at school and they will face consequences," Finley said.