The McMinn County Sheriff’s Department says a 6th grader will be charged after a student found a handgun near the school while playing outside yesterday. The incident took place at E.K. Baker Elementary School in Athens. Officers say around 1:30 p.m., another student was going to get a ball that had gone over the school fence when he saw a rusted handgun. The school resource officer was notified, and found what was described as a “rusted, inoperable, unloaded handgun” about 20 feet off school campus in the woods. Deputies interviewed a 6th grader who said he brought the gun to school last May but threw it over the fence after he was scared to bring the weapon inside the school. The boy was released to his grandmother pending his appearance in juvenile court.