More information released about loaded weapon incident at Orange Elementary School

A classroom assistant was assisting a child who was late for school with retrieving items from the child's school bag when he found what appeared to be a firearm at approximately 12:50 p.m. The classroom assistant immediately notified administration and the School Resource Officer that he needed immediate assistance.

Administration and the SRO quickly took control of the gun and school bag. The gun was removed from the school. Additional sheriff's office personnel arrived at the school to ensure the safety of students and staff and to begin an investigation.

The school was placed into “Safety School Mode.” Interviews were conducted in the school and late into the evening. It was determined that a 6-year-old child had brought the firearm, which was identified as a loaded Heritage Rough Rider Single Action .22 cal “Cowboy Style” revolver. At this time, there is absolutely no indication that the child had any intent to use the firearm, and furthermore, he was unaware of the weight of the item he brought.

Until the teaching assistant found the firearm, neither the sheriff's office nor the school were aware of its presence and had received no information or threats regarding a weapon on school property.

The administration and SRO responded to the situation promptly. The investigation is ongoing and we can assure the public that no stone will be left unturned once the investigation is complete. The safety of all students and staff is OCSO and OCPS' top priority. We try our best to provide the public with information in a timely manner, but that information must be factual and not speculation. We are very happy with the response of school staff and grateful to have School Resource Officers in our schools who can respond to incidents.

The Sheriff's Office takes great care in selecting our school security officers. Our children are our most valuable asset and many of our security officers and deputies have children in our schools. Please talk to your children about the dangers of firearms and tell them to “stop, don't touch, and tell an adult” if they see one. And if they “see something, say something.”

As parents and grandparents, we all have a responsibility to keep our guns safe and secure at all times. In addition, it is recommended that ammunition be stored in a separate location.

Please also check the backpacks before your child leaves the house. Remember: you can never be too safe.

This situation is very unfortunate and heartbreaking for this community. We will get through this together. Situations like this remind us how lucky and thankful we are that nothing bad happened. Show your children lots of love and hold them tight!

For the sake of the integrity of the investigation, this is all we can release at this time.