PORT ORCHARD, Wash. – The Bremerton School District has agreed to pay $900,000 to the family of a student who was critically wounded in a 2012 shooting at Armin Jahr Elementary School.
In February 2012, a .45-caliber handgun discharged in a male student’s backpack, shooting Amina Kocer-Bowman, shattering her elbow and damaging her internal organs before lodging in her spine, Kitsap Sun reports.
The victim spent more than a month in the hospital undergoing multiple surgeries.
Kocer-Bowman’s classmate took the weapon from Doug Bauer, his mother’s then-boyfriend, while on a visit. He claimed he brought the gun to school because he was fearful of other students.
The student made a plea agreement with prosecutors, taking responsibility for bringing the gun to campus. He agreed to a year of court-supervised probation, and was banned from attending school in Bremerton or any other local districts. The boy has since fulfilled terms of the deal.
Meanwhile Bauer, who also served as a defendant on the suit, will pay $300,000.
The family said the bulk of the settlement will go toward Kocer-Bowman’s long-term medical and psychological care, as well as her special education needs as a result of the shooting.
The district says that no policies have been made as a direct result of the shooting; however, it does regularly conduct safety drills to enable school staff to respond quickly and effectively to an emergency.
