Mother arrested after child brings gun to school.
Prosecutors say a woman was arrested in Norristown, Pennsylvania after her 6-year-old son brought a firearm to his elementary school.
Jasmin Devlin, 30, was charged with felony endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment for failing to secure a firearm in her home, according to a news release from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
It is unknown whether Devlin has an attorney at present.
The gun was discovered at Joseph K. Gotwals Elementary School on February 9 after a group of students riding the school bus with the 6-year-old reported to the school’s secretary that he had shown them the gun and bullets.
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“The school’s secretary immediately brought the student into the office, searched his backpack, and discovered the weapon. She then contacted Norristown Police, according to the release.
Prosecutors say police believe the boy found the 9 mm Jimenez Arms semi-automatic handgun the night before bringing it to school in a dresser in his mother’s room.
According to the news release, his 10-year-old brother removed the bullets from the gun and pointed it at his brother while pretending to shoot him.
News the release, the 6-year-old told detectives he returned to his mother’s room in the middle of the night, placed the firearm in his backpack, and brought it to school.
According to police, the weapon was discovered in a school near Philadelphia just over a month after a 6-year-old student shot a first-grade teacher at an elementary school in Newport News, Virginia.
The instructor is recovering from a chest gunshot wound, and the school has reopened with new security measures, including metal detectors.
“I would like to commend the students who immediately alerted school officials, thereby preventing another school tragedy,” Norristown Acting Police Chief Michael Bishop said in a press release.
“These children are the real heroes of this tragic event. Norristown Police responded immediately to their notification of school officials, ensuring the safety of everyone at the school.”
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Devlin’s bond was set at $50,000, and she is prohibited from having contact with children as a condition of her release. The case’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 24.
On March 4, 2022, Devlin obtained the firearm through a straw purchase conducted by a Norristown man, according to the district attorney’s office statement.
Straw purchases occur when an individual illegally purchases a firearm for another individual.
“This incident serves as a sobering reminder that children can and do find unlocked firearms in homes and play with them. “Thank goodness, no one was shot or injured in their home, and thanks to the swift actions of school personnel, no one was shot or injured at school,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele.
This case also serves as a reminder of how dangerous firearms obtained through illegal means can be.
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