Michigan schools ban backpacks in response to gun incidents.
Grand Rapids Public Schools has banned backpacks from schools after a loaded gun was found in a third-grader's backpack. This is the second Michigan district to do so in less than a month, following Flint Community Schools. Weapons have been confiscated from students four times this school year in Grand Rapids, with three out of four times being found in a backpack. The decision was made to prioritize safety in a rapidly changing world. Some school districts have metal detectors, but studies have found that the student populations of schools with metal detectors are largely made up of students of color.