GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A loaded gun was found Wednesday in the backpack of a first-grade student at a Gainesville elementary school, but the student and their mother had no idea it was there, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said that around 1 p.m., Meadowbrook Elementary School Administrators contacted a school resource officer after a first-grade teacher found the handgun in the backpack of one of his students.
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An investigation found the child brought the backpack into school without their mother or the child knowing the gun was inside, deputies said.
The teacher said the student who was in possession of the backpack containing the firearm had not brought any type of backpack to school in months, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators later learned the teacher had made a request to the parent that the student bring a backpack or some other type of bag to school so the teacher could send some items home with the student.
On Wednesday, investigators said the mother of the student told them to go into the trunk of their vehicle and get an old, tattered backpack to fulfill the request of the teacher. It was learned that the mother of the student does own the gun, but that the firearm is normally stored within the glovebox of her vehicle or under the driver’s seat when occupied.
Before that day, deputies said the mother of the student had loaned the vehicle to a family member. The family member told investigators they were uncomfortable with the firearm being inside of the vehicle, so they put the firearm inside a pocket in the backpack, which was in the trunk of the vehicle.
The family member also said they didn’t tell the mother of the student. The family member said they did not believe that the old and tattered backpack belonged to the student, because she knows the student to have newer and nicer backpacks at home.
Based on all the information, as well as consult with the State Attorney’s Office, the sheriff’s office said that no criminal charges will be filed.
The Department of Children and Family Services was told about the incident and plans to follow up.
“While this situation appears to be a terrible accident, we want to impress upon our community the desperate need for safe and responsible gun ownership, as this incident could have had a far worse outcome,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “Sheriff [Clovis] Watson wants to thank the observant teacher and school administrators who identified a serious situation and immediately enacted the notification of law enforcement to ensure the safety of everyone at the school.”
