A Texas man was arrested after authorities say he placed a loaded gun in a 4-year-old special needs student’s backpack before dropping her off at school. A potential disaster was averted, and no injuries were reported thanks to the quick work of a teacher and school administrators who were able to identify the danger early on and bring in authorities to secure the firearm.   

The incident occurred on January 23 at Jessup Elementary School in Houston. According to KHOU, it was a school teacher who found the gun while checking her students in for the day, thankfully, before any manner of tragedy could take place. 

Jessup Elementary Principal Ryan Pavone reported the discovery immediately to campus administrators and Pasadena ISD police, who secured the backpack and the firearm. Pavone promptly sent an email to parents informing them of the incident and urging them to talk to their children about gun safety while keeping their firearms secure from unauthorized access.

“The safety of our students and staff is always the top priority…If you have a firearm in your home, please secure the firearm in a place that children cannot access. I want to urge you to take this opportunity to talk to your child about gun safety. I will be sending additional information through Parent Square related to the current Safe Gun Storage Law,” Pavone said in an email. 

Thirty-year-old Jonatan Alexander Polio, father of the student, was arrested that same day and charged with child endangerment, according to court records. In a statement to the Pasadena ISD Police Department, Polio said he accidentally left the gun in the bookbag unbeknownst to the child, who then carried the loaded firearm into school. An investigation is currently underway as Polio prepares to appear in court after being granted a $25,000 bond. 

This is America, where everyone should be innocent until proven guilty in the eyes of the law, but in the court of public opinion, you can surely be convicted of abject stupidity at any time, and I’m dropping the gavel on this one. I can not foresee any circumstance in which a firearm, loaded or otherwise, must be stored in a child’s book bag for any period. The degree of irresponsibility here crosses any line by which we can use the word “accidentally.”