The 9-year-old boy accused of bringing a handgun to school that accidentally discharged and injured a third grade classmate, has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges.

On February 22, the third-grader from Armin Jahr Elementary School in Bremerton was carrying a .45 caliber handgun in his backpack. When he put his backpack down, the weapon accidentally discharged, critically injuring 8-year-old classmate Amina Kocer-Bowman.

The boy is now charged with illegal possession of a firearm, bringing a dangerous weapon to school, and reckless endangerment. Under a plea agreement, he is required to complete 48 hours of community service along with 12 months of probation. Once he completes his sentence, all charges against him will be dropped.

The victim’s parents disagreed with the plea deal, “Students should clearly understand that guns are not permitted on campus by the time they are in the third grade. The fact that a student made a conscious decision to bring a weapon to school as ‘protection’ clearly indicates that he is cognizant of the destructive power of a handgun. As such, Teri and I are supportive of the prosecution’s decision to charge this boy with illegal possession of a firearm and for bringing a firearm to school; however, we do not agree that this youngster and his siblings should remain in a volatile, unstable family environment.”

The boy is also expected to testify against his mother, Jamie Lee Passmore and her boyfriend, Douglas Bauer. On the day of the shooting, investigators visited Passmore’s residence to find a loaded, unsecured pistol on clear sight, along with a 12-gauge shotgun in their bedroom nightstand. Passmore and Bauer are now charged with multiple counts of unlawful possession of firearms.

Amina still remains in critical condition, undergoing five surgeries and is currently on a ventilator to survive. “As we sit in court, Amina continues to fight for her life. She faces a lifetime of medical and emotional problems because of the irresponsible actions of adults involved in the case at all levels,” the girl’s parents said in another statement. “Amina’s life has been forever altered, along with the rest of our family, due to the breakdown of a system that allows parents deemed unfit by the State to have unrestricted access to this student and his siblings.”