Loaded gun discovered in pre-K student’s backpack

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A loaded gun was found in the backpack of a pre-K student last Friday.

The firearm was discovered at Rachel Freeman Elementary School by a teacher, who alerted the school resource officer.

The child’s father has been charged with misdemeanor failure to secure firearm to a minor.

UPDATE (9:10 p.m.): New Hanover County Schools has released a statement on the incident:

What happened at Freeman Elementary was alarming for everyone involved, and we are incredibly thankful that it was resolved quickly and appropriately without any injuries. 

Once we ensured the safety of all our students and staff, we shared the information we had with the families to keep them informed.

Every day our families trust their students to our care, and nothing is more important to us than their safety. Our staff were heroes that day and responded exactly as they should have. Along with the school resource officer they did everything right to secure the scene and keep our young students safe. 

We are taking all necessary steps to help law enforcement investigate this incident and review our security protocols to make sure it can’t happen again. 

Our families are our partners in educating their children and keeping them safe, and we encouraged them to talk with their students about sharing safety concerns with adults at school.