East Bay elementary school student accidentally brings father's gun to school: police
OAKLEY, Calif. - Oakley police said Wednesday a child accidentally brought his father's gun to school.
At 8:41 a.m., police responded to Gehringer Elementary School to a report of a child who brought his father's backpack to school by mistake with a firearm inside.
Officers arrived and contacted the student and school staff inside the office. Officers removed the handgun from the backpack and determined it had a loaded magazine, but there was not a round in the chamber.
The handgun was lawfully registered to the student's father.
The father came to the school while police were on the scene and explained how his son came into possession of the firearm. The father said there were two similar looking backpacks inside the vehicle on Wednesday morning, one belonging to the father and one belonging to his son.
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Police said the father is a business owner and the firearm is kept in the backpack with business receipts and currency in a safe at home but is transported to and from the business in the backpack.
The child discovered the mistake inside the classroom, didn't touch the gun, and told his teacher, who took the backpack and notified the school office. Officers placed the gun into evidence at the Oakley Police Department.
Police said the case will be forwarded to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office to decide whether the father should be charged with a crime.
Police said the case reinforces the need for lawful gun owners to be diligent with regards to how they store and transport their firearms.