The boy was in the cafeteria of Westside Elementary School in Memphis when the pistol, stuffed in a backpack, suddenly fired one round yesterday, CBS News reported.
No one was hurt by the bullet.
The kindergartner, who was not immediately identified, was taken into police custody.
"This morning at Westside Elementary School, a kindergarten student brought a firearm to school in his backpack," Shelby County Schools said in a statement.
The school said the incident is under investigation, but there was no immediate evidence that the boy intended to cause any harm to anyone.
However, the school said the child will be disciplined "in accordance with the state's zero tolerance policy.