A Kansas middle schooler has been arrested and charged with felony threatening after she reportedly made a finger-gun gesture at four other kids.

The Kansas City Star reports the Sept. 18 incident took place at Westridge Middle School in Overland Park, with a source telling the paper the girl, age 12 or 13, was asked by another student whom she'd kill if she could; that's when she allegedly pointed her pretend firearm at classmates, then at herself.

An Overland Park cop took her out of school in handcuffs and brought her to a juvenile center, where she was charged, a police rep said in a statement to the Washington Post.

"Threats in schools are taken very seriously and treated appropriately," the rep says.

The paper notes last week, two teens allegedly brought guns into a different middle school in the district; a first-time offense of possessing a firearm is a misdemeanor.

The girl's grandfather in California, where she's now living, tells the Star his granddaughter was "just mouthing off" and doesn't have access to a gun, and that the incident should've been handled internally.

Still, a Shawnee Mission School District spokesman says a finger gun could flout the district's ban on bullying or intimidation, if an "individual definitely feels threatened."

The paper notes other finger-gun incidents in the US have resulted in discipline for students in schools with zero-tolerance policies for bullying and threats.

The Overland Park girl's grandfather, who worries a felony on her record could hurt her chances at college or the military, says he was told she may be facing up to a year in a juvenile facility if convicted.

Johnson County DA Steve Howe tells WDAF that's not likely, as the girl will likely qualify for a more lenient disciplinary measure.

QUESTIONS:
1) Why was one Kansas middle schooler arrested for a felony charge?

2) Recount the details of the incident and how the police responded.

3) What are the concerns of the girl’s grandfather?

4) Specify the finger-gun incidents in the US. Do you agree such gesture could be related to bullying and discrimination?

5) Do you agree that finger-gun misdemeanors should reflect on the kids’ criminal records? Why or why not?

VOCABULARY/EXPRESSION:
Zero-tolerance policy - any policy that allows no exception