DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Kindergartner Kai Johnson was outside playing with his classmates when the unthinkable happened.
"He felt like he got hit in the back and he hit the floor," Kai's dad, Kevin Johnson, said.
They thought it was a rock, but it turned out to be something worse.
"So, when we came up they said it was all by pellets by a pellet gun," Kevin Johnson said.
The 6-year-old attends Wynbrooke Elementary School in DeKalb. Johnson said his son was one of the children who was hurt Thursday.
The DeKalb County School District confirmed 10 students were injured from what appears to be a BB or pellet gun. They said the students have non-life threatening injuries.
"The shots appear to have come from a position away from the school grounds," the district said in a statement. "There was never a threat of anyone getting into the school building and the remaining students were not injured."
A representative from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Egleston Hospital said they've treated nine students and the patients have been reunited with their parents. They are all in good condition.
Johnson said his 6-year-old is now home recovering from the injury. He showed 11Alive a photo of his son on a gurney with his wound covered.
"He was hurt but luckily it bounced off his rib cage. It didn’t pierce through," he said. "Ricocheted right off of his rib cage."
He's counting his blessings.
"I’m just glad it wasn’t a real gun, man, because I could have lost my son today," he said.
DeKalb Police officers are assisting the DeKalb County School District Police in the investigation. School officials said additional staff and DCSD police will be on-site Friday to ensure the safety of students.
Students injured by pellet gun at Wynbrooke Elementary
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