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Virginia Second Grader Absolved After 'Finger Gun' Suspension

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An agreement has been reached between the Prince William County school system and the parents of a boy punished for pretending to shoot imaginary bullets from his finger.

The second grader at Minnieville Elementary in Woodbridge, Va., was suspended on Feb. 8 after he pointed a finger at a playmate and pretended to shoot him. School officials said this constituted "threatening to harm self or others" and punished the 8-year-old with in-school suspension.

The family's attorney filed an appeal, asking for the suspension to be cleared from the boy's record. The school has agreed, provided the boy's family remind him of appropriate play behavior while in school.

The boy pretended to shoot his playmate with his finger after the other boy pretended to shoot him with a bow and arrow, reportedly after a lesson on Native American culture.

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