CCPD locates loaded gun in student backpack at Trafalgar Elementary
OPENGATE alarm prompted search; child's father charged
A parent is facing charges after his 5-year-old was found with a loaded 9mm handgun in his backpack at Trafalgar Elementary School this morning.
The backpack was searched after an alert sounded as the child passed through the OPENGATE detection system, officials said.
The father, James Edward Wilson, 50, is facing a pair of charges, the Cape Coral Police Department said in a statement.
The School District of Lee County requires all students, staff members, and guests to be screened before entering any campus.
“During today’s screening before school, a 5-year-old student was found to have a loaded firearm in their backpack. The student said they knew nothing about it,” the CCPD release states.
“Detectives in our Violent Crimes Unit interviewed the parents at their home, and the father admitted to putting the weapon in the backpack to transport it to his car. He then forgot to remove the weapon.”
As a result, Wilson was arrested and charged with one count of felony child neglect, and one count of improper storage of a firearm, a misdemeanor, police said.
DCF has been notified, the release states.
Officials said campus security was not compromised.
The School District of Lee County issued a statement following the incident.
Statement from the School District of Lee County
“The safety and security of our students and staff is the School District of Lee County’s highest priority. This commitment is reflected in our multi-layered approach to campus protection, including our distinction as the only school district in Florida using the OPENGATE Weapons Detection System at every K-12 school.”
“All students, staff, and visitors are screened through OPENGATE before entering any campus. Today, the system alerted staff at Trafalgar Elementary, prompting law enforcement to search a student’s backpack, where a loaded firearm was found. The student was immediately isolated, and at no time was the safety of the campus compromised. The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested the student’s father on charges related to this incident.”
“The School District of Lee County has a zero-tolerance policy for weapons on campus.