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Members of the Orange County Sheriff's Office were contacted on Sept. 16 by staff members at an area elementary school about a weapon that was found inside the building.
According to investigators, they were able to take possession of a backpack that, indeed, contained a gun, and the probe into the incident determined that the child brought it on campus, where it was found by an instructional assistant.
Until the instructional assistant located the firearm, neither the Sheriff’s Office nor the school system was aware of its presence and had not received any information or threat of any weapon on school property.
It was determined that the 6-year-old child brought the firearm, a loaded Heritage Rough Rider single-action .22 cal “Cowboy-style” revolver.
"At this time, there is absolutely no indication that the child had any intention to use the firearm and additionally did not understand the severity of the item that was brought," a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said.
No injuries were reported, and no threats were made, officials said. The building was placed into a a “Safe School Mode" during the investigation.
As a precaution, there was additional patrols and security at the school on Tuesday as the investigation into the incident continues.
"The investigation is still ongoing, and we can assure the public that no stone will be left unturned at the conclusion of the investigation," Sheriff Jason Smith said the following day. "We try our best to provide information to the public in a timely manner, but that information must be factual and not speculation."
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