Gun left in kindergartener's backpack: Did dad try to shoot someone with a sack lunch?

With kids all over the metro area returning to classes this week, and parents trying to re-establish morning routines, mix-ups over what to bring to school are to be expected. But a gun accidentally left in a kindergartener's backpack? Is that really a believable "oops!" -- like picking the wrong...

By Michael Roberts

August 26, 2010

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With kids all over the metro area returning to classes this week, and parents trying to re-establish morning routines, mix-ups over what to bring to school are to be expected. But a gun accidentally left in a kindergartener's backpack? Is that really a believable "oops!" -- like picking the wrong flavor of pudding?

Not from the Lakewood Police Department's perspective.

According to the LPD, the parent in question, who's not yet been identified, claims to have "inadvertently" left the weapon in the backpack of the Molholm Elementary student. And for that mistake, he could face multiple charges, including child abuse.

Next time, don't keep the gun on the same shelf with the peanut butter. Here's more detail from an LPD release:

The Lakewood Police Department received a call [Wednesday] afternoon from Molholm Elementary School located at 6000 West 9th Avenue in reference to a found hand gun.

A teacher was cleaning up and discovered the weapon in a backpack belonging to a kindergarten student. The hand gun belonged to a parent of the student [who] inadvertently left it in the child's backpack prior to taking the child to school in the morning. The gun was secured by school personnel until Police Agents arrived on scene. The parent was taken into custody without incident. Charges pending include child abuse and possession of a weapon on school grounds.

The identity of the parent is not being released at this time.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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