A violence prevention specialist says the recent incidents involving guns at Bridgeport schools stem from a disconnect between kids, their parents and teachers.

Wednesday?s incident at Bassick High School involved a 16-year-old who was turned in by another student for carrying a gun. Two days before, a 13-year-old at Roosevelt School was caught with a gun in his backpack, police say. A third student was reportedly charged with bringing bullets onto the grounds of Harding High School.

Ken Jackson, who has served time for gun-related crimes and now counsels at-risk kids, says many teens often don?t feel comfortable going to teachers or parents when they have serious problems. He says they sometimes find a sense of family on the streets, which can come with violence and weapons.

Jackson says guns are a part of the inner city. ?We can put men on the moon but we can't stop guns from coming into our cities,? he says. He says part of the solution is not to look at the teens as criminal elements but to open lines of communication to find out why the incidents happen.

Jackson advises parents of Bridgeport teens to take advantage of the school district?s open door policy and to check in on their children from time to time at school.