When students in Grand Rapids go back to class next month, they’ll be able to take their backpacks with them.

Grand Rapids Public Schools banned backpacks in May after four incidents where young students brought guns to school.

The district made the decision to reverse the ban on Monday after hearing from parents and students through conversations and surveys.

Dr. Marc Zimmerman speaks with ABC 13 about the importance of upstream violence prevention strategies and addressing the root cause of violent behavior early on.