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Child told Queen Creek police they carried gun to school to avoid a 'potential abduction'

Queen Creek police say criminal charges are being recommended for the student who brought a gun to school on Aug. 25.

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. — The Queen Creek Police Department is recommending criminal charges for the parents of a child who brought a gun to school last month. 

The agency said Wednesday it was submitting charges against the student and their parents after officers allegedly found a firearm in the child's backpack.

The situation began on Aug. 24 after a student at Legacy Traditional School-Queen Creek noticed another student in possession of a bullet, police say. After the student notified a parent after school, administrators were contacted and informed about what the student observed. 

The next day, a school employee searched the child's backpack and located a firearm. Police say the gun had a loaded magazine seated in the weapon, but the chamber was empty.

The child allegedly told police he carried the weapon to school to protect himself from a "potential abduction." Police don't believe the child intended to harm anyone.

Police say officers will be submitting to prosecutors the following criminal charges:

  • Prohibited possession of a gun, for the child
  • Possessing a gun on school grounds, for the child
  • Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, for the child's parents

The charge recommended for the parents is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

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