Teacher arrested-loaded firearm on school property

[packinnova]

I have a 6 year old kid in kindergarten right now. I teach him about firearms. My child knows to respect guns, he knows to never touch my gun. He knows that if he ever sees my gun and I am not right there with it, to leave it alone and find me or mommy and to tell us where it is. Most kids are not taught this. most kids don't have a gun at home. Most kids are brought up watching tv where a gun is cool. A lot of kids would see a gun, pick it up and show it to their friends or play with it. I feel bad for this teacher because she is in her 50's and will most likely lose her job. However, I also don't think she should just be taken into the principals office and be given a "talking to". As ccw holders we bring guns into places, situations where they normally wouldn't be. We are held to a higher standard and rightfully so. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for "losing" her gun on school grounds. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for even bringing the gun onto school property at all, mistakenly or not. If as a ccw holder, you don't know where each and every gun that you own is at all times, then you don't deserve to have a ccw license. I feel bad that this teacher is going to lose her job. I don't feel bad that she is going to lose her CCW. As far as how many 50 year old teachers hurt kids? Thats not the issue, the issue is there was an unattended gun on the floor in a school. Guns don't kill people, negligence, complacency, stupidity kills people. This teacher was all of the above. If a kid got that gun, there may have been an obituary in the paper as well as this story. The media didn't "HYPE" this story. Every argument has 2 sides. We as ccw holders make it a point to show stories of guns saving lives of good guys. Anti-gun people will lock onto this story and rightfully so. This was not media hype. This was a ccw holder giving the anti-gun people an absolutely perfect story to use in their anti-gun arsenal. The media is not to blame. there is no-one to blame but an absent-minded, negligent gun owner and ccw holder.

Look, I agree it was bad that she lost control of her sidearm and it ended up within reach of school kids unsupervised, but it seems to me, you're all still playing the "pass the blame" game. See your section I bolded. That gun cannot and will not get up and start shooting by itself. I'm not saying it's a good thing that it was neglected, but I am saying that she shouldn't be stripped of her right to defend herself for the REST OF HER LIFE! Think about that one carefully folks.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[tns0038]

Shame… Years of education, and years of experience down the toilet for a simple mistake. And unfortunately, the school board has chosen to view this kind of offence very harshly. I can see firing her, or even firing and fining, but taking her teaching certificate away, and lock her up is a bit much.

With an ever growing population of CCL holders, more mistakes like this are going to happen. Taken as a percentage of all CCL holders it will be a very very small percentage, but you know our liberal national media will run a muck with it.

[Jaystekan]

Noone said she can't defend herself for the rest of her life. Let her keep a gun on her home. She should lose her CCW though. How many chances does a person get to mishandle a firearm before they is told she can no longer carry concealed? What if a kid had gotten that gun and killed a classmate? Think about it this way, the teacher does everythig exactly the same way, loses her gun exactly the same way, now a kid finds the gun instead of an adult. The kid plays with the gun, it goes off, someone is killed or injured(we all hear the news stories). Should the teacher then be given a slap on the wrists? A talking to by the principal? This teacher was saved from a lot of trouble by pure dumb luck. She is in trouble, yes, but if a kid got that, she would have been in a whole lot more trouble. She would have done nothing more wrong than losing her gun exactly like she did, but the story would have taken on a whole different vibe. This issue isn't about whether or not teachers should be allowed to carry. This story isn't about gun-free zones. This story isn't about anything except an irresponsible gun owner. Parents who leave their guns out in their own home are crucified when there is an incident of a child getting hold of the gun and something bad happening. This teacher took her gun to an area where guns are illegal, then not only did she take it there illegally, she lost it, not only did she lose it, but she either didn't know she lost it, or she decided not to notify school officials that she lost a gun on campus(if she knew she lost it). How many chances do we give her? If a kid shot someone with it, should she be given a second chance to concealed carry? Her actions in this situation wouldn't have changed, just the outcome. This teacher was one lucky s.o.b. I don't think she should get jail time or lose her teaching certificate, but YES she should lose her right to carry a firearm. Like I said earlier, we carry firearms into areas and situations where they normally wouldn't go, so we are and should be held to the highest of standards.

[Jaystekan]

Look, I agree it was bad that she lost control of her sidearm and it ended up within reach of school kids unsupervised, but it seems to me, you're all still playing the "pass the blame" game. See your section I bolded. That gun cannot and will not get up and start shooting by itself. I'm not saying it's a good thing that it was neglected, but I am saying that she shouldn't be stripped of her right to defend herself for the REST OF HER LIFE! Think about that one carefully folks.

Pass the blame? Whit whom in this situation should the blame lie? If a 7 year old kid picked up the gun and shot themselves or someone else who do we blame? The kid? The kids parents? The school? A gun lost and unattended in a school, where does the blame in a situation like this lie? How are we playing "pass the blame game"?

[Supertac45]

Sounds pretty irresponsible to be carrying.

[David in FL]

Look, I agree it was bad that she lost control of her sidearm and it ended up within reach of school kids unsupervised, but it seems to me, you're all still playing the "pass the blame" game.

Let's face it, a common argument against our right to carry is that not all people are responsible. In the minds of many, the perceived risk from those who might carry and subsequently act in an irresponsible manner is an overriding concern. My response is pretty simple. We grant properly trained and licensed individuals the privilege of driving a car. When someone does so in an irresponsible or reckless manner, there are consequences appropriate to the infraction. They range fr a simple fine, to loss of privelege, to prison. There is no call for the ban of automobiles, or to limit their use only to those who drive professionaly. The privilege of ccw should be viewed no differently. Along with that privilege comes the responsibility to do so in a safe and appropriate manner, and failure to do so will result in consequences appropriate to the infraction.

If we as a community don't acknowlege irresponsibility when it occurs (as in this case) and accept......no, make that demand appropriate accountability, then we run the risk of losing credibility as a community. While I have no doubt that this teacher feels terrible and never intended for such a thing to happen, that doesn't absolve her of responsibility, nor does it mean that we shouldn't hold her accountable with an appropriate consequence to her actions.

Would I want her teaching my daughter in 3d grade next year? No problem at all. Should she be allowed to ccw again? I think not.

[BIG E]

It's not forgetfulness, it's criminally culpable negligence. It is her firearm, and she has an absolute duty to know where it is at all times.

Even leaving aside for the moment the monumental negligence of dropping the firearm outside the entrance to the school and not even knowing it, it was unlawful for her to take it out of the vehicle in the first place on school grounds.

It doesn't make her a "hardened criminal", but it was a felony. She'll probably lose her CWFL and her job.

Matt

Could not have said it better.

This is not a forgivable mistake. She will lose her CHL, job and who knows what else, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

I think she got lucky that it was found how and when it was.

[kazzaerexys]

Letting your gun end up on the ground, out of your control, is definitely a no-no and, alas, she probably deserves whatever ends up happening legally.

More importantly, though, are the interesting things I learned about guns by reading these articles (particularly the second)! To wit:

• Only hardened criminals carry loaded guns, especially when loaded with hollow-point bullets.
  
• Only adults are capable of safely and responsibly handling firearms.
  
• People who carry guns are insane.
  
• Wonderful people who go to church regularly clearly have no need for firearms.

Thank goodness for journalists.

"By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, journalism keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community."
---Oscar Wilde

[kentuckycarry]

I "like" this part,"That was little consolation for parents who later found out their kids were so close to a loaded weapon". I wonder if the parents are shaking in their shoes every time an officer comes around their kids.
Give me a break!! Like this inanimate object is just going to jump up and chase a kid down and shoot it. That kind of language should be libelous. The media needs to be held responsible for their "Hype" hogwash that they put out there.
Why do we give the media the power we have given them. We need to use all these forums to expose the ignorance and preposterousness of the media. Makes me want to puke!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think this could be looked at another way. A kid being close to a loaded weapon laying on the ground with no adults around is Very dangerous. Lots of kids aren't taught firearm safety and would pick it up out of curiousity or try to shoot it like they do in the movies.
This woman deserves everything she gets.
I like the "hollow point" comments. Like that is evil intent.

[takurpic]

Too bad she wasn't using a Smart Carry. This whole thing could have been prevented.

[MattInFla]

Too bad she wasn't using a Smart Carry. This whole thing could have been prevented.

She'd still be committing a felony by having the gun on school grounds outside her vehicle.

Matt

[takurpic]

She'd still be committing a felony by having the gun on school grounds outside her vehicle.

Matt

Is that a felony per Florida law? There is a provision for CCW in the federal law regarding GFSZ. (IAMNAL).

Either way, she wouldn't have dropped the firearm had it been in a holster and a holster like the Smart Carry is deep concealment, as opposed to owb or iwb, and isn't likley to be discovered unless she removes her clothing.

[dang.45]

If a drunk driver kills someone & goes to jail for it, can they drive once they get out of jail? Do they lose their license forever? This is a serious question because I honestly don't know...

The reason I ask is this - if a drunk driver who actually kills someone is able to get their license back after serving their time, is there any reason why this woman should lose her concealed carry license when nothing bad actually came of her negligence?

Some kind of consequence must come from her negligence, but to be stripped of her right to defend herself seems a bit much, no? Convince me I'm wrong on this...

[David in FL]

Is that a felony per Florida law?

Yes. 3d degree.

[Jaystekan]

The reason I ask is this - if a drunk driver who actually kills someone is able to get their license back after serving their time, is there any reason why this woman should lose her concealed carry license when nothing bad actually came of her negligence?

.

The fact that nothing bad actually came of her negligence is due to pure dumb luck. Nothing she did contributed to this situation not having a worse outcome. There are 15 kids to every adult in your average school. the fact an adult found the gun and not a kid, well thats either a higher power looking out for her, or like I said, just pure luck. Simply bringing the gun onto school grounds is a felony. As a ccw holder she knew that. Either she is guilty of knowingly committing a felony by bringing her gun onto school grounds, or she accidently brought her gun on school grounds not knowing she had it on her, in which case she is guilty of poor gun ownership. Both of these in my mind are enough to lose your ccw. Since her cell phone was found with the gun, it sounds to me like she KNOWINGLY carried her gun on school grounds. If she is anything like my wife, and pretty much every woman I know, the cell is in her purse at all times. I find it difficult to believe she unknowingly had the gun on school grounds. Maybe she left it in her purse on accident. Well, then she is a really bad gun owner and therefore should no longer be trusted to carry. Any felony is enough to lose your ccw, if she gets to keep her ccw after this, where do we draw the line? If she does get it back, then what felonies are disqualifying for a ccw? It would be impossible to pick and choose what felonies disqualify you from gun ownership and what ones don't. She committed a felony, therefore she should lose her ccw. Remember this though, she has yet to be found guilty of anything. My guess, since she is a teacher in her 50's, no felony record(we know this since she is a ccw holder), no criminal intent, the D.A. will probably let her plea out to a misdemeanor. She will lose her job, but maybe not her ccw.