AURORA, Colo. — The Aurora Police Department said a mother has been issued a summons after a child was found with a loaded gun in school on Friday morning.
According to Aurora PD, patrol officers responded to Arrowhead Elementary School at around 8:30 a.m. after getting a call about a student with a firearm.
APD said preliminary investigations indicate that the child was showing the gun to classmates when another student notified an adult. Law enforcement officials quickly located and secured the backpack with the gun.
The school went into its lockdown protocol out of an abundance of caution, according to officials. It was quickly lifted and classes were able to resume as normal in the 9 a.m. hour.
While the firearm was loaded, there was not a live round in the chamber, police said, and there was no indication that the student had any intention of harming anybody.
Aurora
Arrowhead Elementary School placed on lockdown after firearm found in backpack
Denver7 spoke with Gina Cacciatore, a parent at the school who said she rushed over right away when she heard what had happened to make sure her daughter was safe.
"This is not what you want to hear first thing in the morning that your kids could be threatened by a gun," Cacciatore said. "I was scared for my kid."
Cacciatore said she hopes this will be a wake-up call for more security on school campuses.
"Quite frankly, at this point, I feel like every single school in the world should have metal detectors in the school. It's the only way that we're going to keep our kids safe," she said.
A spokesperson with the Cherry Creek School District said several parents stopped by the school to check on their children, while some decided to take them home early. Michelle Henderson, a grandparent at the school, said she left work immediately to pick her grandchildren up.
"I feel very good now — being able to put my eyes on them. I feel much more comfortable, much more relaxed," she said, "It's a surprise that it happened at this school. But unfortunately, I think we've become a little bit numb to these scenarios happening."
Friday afternoon Aurora officials announced the 39-year-old mother of the student, later identified as Zoe Cherelle Cantrelle, was issued a summons for child abuse and failing to safely secure a firearm. Both are misdemeanors.
Under Colorado state law, firearms are required to be "responsibly and securely stored when they are not in use to prevent access by unsupervised juveniles and other unauthorized users." The law states that unlawful storage of a firearm is considered a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Aurora PD said the student is not facing charges at this time.
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