13-year-old student receives 2-day suspension for simply sketching a gun

A 13-year-old North Carolina child received a two-day suspension several weeks ago for just drawing a stick figure holding a gun.

What was in the picture?

According to WABC-TV, a stick figure holding a rifle can be seen in the picture.

Other things in the sketch included what appeared to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, a magician, a "suped up mini-car," a knight bearing a sword, and a castle.

What did the school do?

WABC reported that Roseboro-Salemburg Middle School in Roseboro, North Carolina, suspended the seventh-grade boy for the picture.

According to the station, school Superintendent Eric Bracy explained that the young man was suspended in an effort to remain "extra vigilant about all issues of safety" as a result of "everything happening in the nation."

Bracy said that the severity of punishment varies from incident to incident as outlined in the district's student handbook.

"There are some things that list possible threats or things like that," Bracy said, noting that all parents should be concerned about their children's behaviors. "We've got category 1, 2, 3 and 4, which sort of grades potential incidents and the level of seriousness."

WABC reported that the child has since returned to school.

Anything else?

James Herring, the boy's father, spoke with the station, and said he believed the school went too far in suspending his son.

"I see him holding his gun," Herring said of the stick figure in the picture. "He's a deer hunter. I see him with a magician, and I see him as a Ninja Turtle. Just expressing himself. Nothing violent."

Herring said that when he sees the picture, he sees a "normal 13-year-old boy."

"I drew pictures like this," he added. "It's nothing to get expelled from school from."