A Mason City fifth-grader is suspended for three days after bringing a look-alike gun to school. Jefferson Elementary School officials say the gun, which fires soft foam projectiles instead of bullets, was discovered last week in a student’s backpack at the school.

School policy restricts students from bringing weapons or look-alikes onto school property. Principal Dudley Humphrey says the student didn’t make any threatening moves with the gun and it was never taken from the backpack. It was discovered when the boy was getting ready to go home with a friend.

School officials didn’t identify the student, but Humphrey says the boy is a straight-A student who just made a bad decision.