After an investigation, the Queen Creek Police Department (QCPD) has recommended charges in last month's incident involving a fourth-grader reportedly bringing a gun onto a local charter school campus.
QCPD released the following statement by email last night:
"At 8:22 a.m. on Aug. 25 QCPD received a call from staff at Legacy Traditional School-Queen Creek, stating a student had brought a firearm onto the school campus. When officers arrived, school staff had already escorted the child away from other students to a secure area on campus. QCPD officers seized the weapon and launched an investigation. Based on information obtained through interviews with staff, the student involved and the student's parents, QCPD will be submitting the following charges to the Pinal County Attorney's Office for consideration:
- Student (two charges; one count each):
- ARS 13-3111.A Minors prohibited from carrying or possessing a firearm (a class six felony).
- ARS 13-3102.A.12 Misconduct involving weapons; possessing a deadly weapon on school grounds (a class one misdemeanor).
- Student's parents (one charge; one count each):
- ARS 13-3613.A Contributing to delinquency and dependency (a class one misdemeanor).
Basic timeline of the initial call, per QCPD:
Aug. 24: A student observes one bullet in the possession of the child and notified a parent when they got home. This parent returned to the school to inform school staff about the observation her child had reported. The police department was not contacted.
Aug. 25: School staff approaches the child as he walks into school. He is ushered to a secure location on campus and a staff member searches the child’s backpack. When they saw the firearm, school staff contacted QCPD.
The gun had a loaded magazine seated in the weapon, but the chamber was empty.
"The safety of our community, schools and children are top priority for the Queen Creek Police Department. As we investigate these incidents, we base all charging decisions on facts and evidence. Bringing a firearm onto a school campus, loaded or unloaded, is against the law. The law also prohibits minors from possessing firearms, unless specific exceptions (as outlined in ARS 13-3111) are indicated," Chief Randy Brice said in an email statement last night. "QCPD commends the student who saw something suspicious at school the day before the incident and informed an adult. We encourage all caregivers to teach their children to say something if they see something. QCPD also urges all caregivers with firearms in their homes to secure them in a way that no child in the house will be able to obtain access to the firearm.
"QCPD would also like to stress that detectives found no evidence of the student having any plans, collaboration with others, or specific motives or intent to harm anyone with the firearm," Brice continued. "During an interview with a detective, the child stated he carried the firearm for self-protection 'from a potential abduction' as he traveled to and from school by himself."
Sonu Wasu, public information officer of public safety for the Town of Queen Creek, emailed the following statement last night: "Juvenile divisions, more than court divisions with criminal jurisdiction, have a rehabilitative orientation. In addition to protecting the community, the Juvenile Court System has the mission of nurturing positive change in the child. In this situation, the child will be referred to the Pinal County Juvenile Justice Court System for the charges that were previously identified."
