ON THE MORNING of February 29, 2000, six-year-old Kayla Rolland was attending Theo J. Buell Elementary School in Mount Morris Township, Michigan. As she was walking up the stairs from one class to another, a six-year-old classmate called out to her. He told Kayla that he did not like her. Kayla turned around and said, "So"" In response, the boy shot her with a Davis .32 semiautomatic handgun. The bullet struck Kayla in the right shoulder and tore through her vital organs. Paramedics were called but they were unable to help. Kayla was then rushed to Hurley Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Authorities investigating the shooting learned that the boy lived with his uncle and discovered that the house where they lived was a meeting place for people who traded guns for drugs. The boy apparently had found a loaded handgun under a...