A Florida woman faces felony charges after allegedly placing a gun in her child's school backpack, with the instruction to "return it" to his father, according to authorities.
When the child opened the backpack at the start of the Coppergate Elementary school day, they found the gun inside and immediately told their teacher.
The Clay County Sheriff's office was called, and police confiscated the weapon. When police interviewed the child's mother, Sierra Bronner, she told police she put the gun in the backpack with the intention of returning it to the child's father.
Police stated that the child was going to his fathers before school and Bronner intended for the child to return it before leaving for school.
"[Police] discovered the child's parents don't live together; the mother placed the gun in the backpack and told the young child to return the firearm to their father before they left for school," police stated. "The child was taken to Coppergate Elementary by their father, who was unaware the gun was in the backpack. Therefore, the firearm ended up on school grounds."
Bronner was arrested and charged with child neglect and giving a firearm to a minor. She was taken to the Clay County Jail.
"It's crucial that parents know what their children are bringing to school before they leave home. Look in their backpacks, ask questions and have conversations on what's appropriate to bring to school," Sheriff Michelle Cook said. "In this specific case, this was a poor decision and could've ended in tragedy. I'm grateful for our partnership with Clay County District Schools and applaud our school resource deputies and detectives for their work to keep our students safe."
