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KINNGAIT/CAPE DORSET
Three students are receiving accolades from their school and the community after finding a loaded gun while playing and promptly alerting RCMP.

Jordan Kelly, Matt Jaw and Kov Adla were throwing rocks at geese when they found the gun on Sept. 26, something Kelly said was both surprising and shocking. Afraid of getting in trouble if they did otherwise, the trio notified the police.

"I tried to take a rock and then I found it," said Kelly. "We didn't even touch it. We ran to police station and then told the police. We talked about where do we have to put it and then I knew, to the police station. I was too scared to take it in public."

Their decision to alert the authorities likely prevented a tragedy, said Amanda Morrison, a Grade 8 teacher at Peter Pitseolak School.

"I said, 'You guys probably saved someone from getting hurt really badly from that,'" she said. "And they said, 'I know. We didn't want someone to get hurt. That's why we decided to get rid of it instead of leave it.'"

RCMP Cpl. Yvonne Niego stated the youths should be commended for doing the right thing. The firearm was located close to a public building, she added.

"It could be that a tragedy was avoided due to the actions of the youth," she stated in an e-mail. "I am sure many community members will be as thankful as the police are."

Morrison learned of the situation the Grade 8 trio faced reading their journal entries. She explained she encourages her students to write every day and if they don't have anything to write about, to make up a story.

"The first one I read, I thought maybe it was something they made up, but then I read the exact same story two more times. So I decided to ask them," said Morrison.

Kelly said he had nothing to say in his journal until he remembered he found the gun so he decided to write about it, as he wanted to finish his entry. If he had to face the situation again, he said he'd resolve it the same way.

Morrison said everyone who has heard the story is really proud of them. Among the violence happening across Nunavut, it was nice to see children making the right decision, she said.

"I think they were in a really tricky situation," said Morrison. "A lot of kids here don't really know what to do in those situations and I was so proud to hear them tell me in their journals they did the right thing without thinking about it. They just knew right away, let's take this to the RCMP. There is no questioning. And I mean they were scared. They could have just left it because they were scared but they didn't."

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