INDIANA – Chelisa Grimes gave her gay son, Darnell “Dynasty” Young, a stun gun to protect himself against bullies, after she lost faith that officials at Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis would protect him..

The 17-year-old high school student says be took the stun gun to school because he didn’t feel safe. On April 16, six students surrounded Young, taunting him and pelting him with homophobic insults.

He then took out the gun and fired it, sending off an electric shock. The would-be bullies were abated. Young’s mom says she doesn’t regret her decision of giving her son a stun gun, and, in fact, would make the same decision again. However, her son is now facing expulsion.

She said the choice to arm her son was one that she had to make.

Young said it was unfair for him to be suspended from school for protecting himself. His decision to use the gun during the April 16 incident stemmed from his frustration over being bullied. He said that the bullying has pushed him to consider suicide.