A father was arrested after a 3-year-old boy showed up to a San Antonio preschool with a gun in their backpack, according to multiple local reports.
The incident occurred at the Pre-K 4 SA preschool in San Antonio. The school said the child was unaware that the gun was in the backpack. The school said its staff immediately confiscated the weapon and contacted San Antonio Police.
The San Antonio Express-Newsreported that 35-year-old Pete Robles was arrested and the child was placed in protective services.
Pre-K 4 SA said the student was unaware the gun was inside the backpack.
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For now, the school is banning students from bringing backpacks.
Scripps News has reached out to the San Antonio police.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus released a statement to local media.
"This incident underscores the important collaboration between the school faculty and law enforcement personnel," McManus said. "Swift action was taken to address the situation and make an arrest. There are no current threats to the safety of the school or its students. To provide further assurance, SAPD will maintain an increased uniformed presence at the school for the foreseeable future."
According to Nationwide Children's Hospital, firearms are the leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S. Out of the hundreds of unintentional firearm deaths involving children, 92% of guns are stored loaded and 92% are stored unlocked, the Nationwide Children's Hospital study found.
"These results indicate that children are accessing firearms at a home – often their own home – and many of these firearms are not stored safely, even when there are young children in the home. These study findings also highlight that children are accessing firearms belonging to other relatives, not just their parents," said Nichole Michaels, senior author of the study. "When children are killed by another child with a firearm, it has a ripple effect that can impact the well-being of their families, friends, classmates, and communities."
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