Cape 9-year-old cited for carrying knife to school

A 9-year-old girl was cited for unlawful use of a weapon Wednesday after she was found with a knife at school. School personnel at Clippard Elementary found out the girl was carrying the knife after it had been seen by other students, said Sgt. Barry Hovis, spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Hovis said police never received information that the girl intended to harm other students, but she did give several reasons for having the knife. Among the reasons mentioned in the incident report were utilitarian purposes like cutting objects. The 9-year-old's fear of other children at school was also mentioned in the report, but police are still investigating the student's intent in bringing the weapon to school, Hovis said. She was cited for unlawful use of a weapon because the knife was concealed in her backpack, and the blade was longer than four inches.