Oakley Police Investigates Gun on Gehringer School Campus

On November 13, 2024,  at 8:41 am, Oakley Police Officers responded to Gehringer Elementary School on a report of a child who brought his father’s backpack to school by mistake with a firearm inside. Officers arrived and contacted the student and school staff inside the office. Officers removed the handgun from the backpack and determined it had a loaded magazine, but there was not a round in the chamber.

The handgun was lawfully registered to the student’s father. While the officers were on scene, the father of the child arrived at the school. The father cooperated with the officers and provided a statement on how his son came into possession of the firearm. The father stated there were two similar looking backpacks inside the vehicle this morning, one belonging to the father and one belonging to his son.

The father is a business owner and the firearm is kept in the backpack with business receipts and currency in a safe at home. The firearm is transported to and from the business in the backpack. The father expressed remorse for the incident and clearly understood the gravity of the situation.

The child discovered he had his father’s backpack once he was inside the classroom. He opened the backpack and saw the firearm and knew not to touch it. He immediately notified his teacher who took the backpack and notified the office. The officers seized the firearm and it was placed into evidence at the Oakley Police Department. The case will be forwarded to the District Attorney for determination of charges against the father.

This incident reinforces the need for lawful gun owners to be diligent with regards to how they store and transport their firearms. Although this incident was not intentional and the child reacted appropriately by immediately reporting it to the teacher, this is obviously an incident that could have had a tragic outcome.

The Oakley Police Department and the Oakley Unified Elementary School District always maintain an open line of communication with each other and have always worked together to make sure the safety of the students is of paramount importance.

Information released by Oakley Police Department