A Miami-Dade father has been arrested after officials say he went to his son’s elementary school and removed a loaded gun he had stored in the 8-year-old’s backpack.
Ramon Nuiry, 53, now faces multiple charges, including possession of a firearm on school property. He posted bond early Friday.
According to Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Nuiry dropped his son off at Kendale Elementary School on Thursday morning then returned around 9 a.m.
Officials say that he asked to see his son and removed a loaded firearm from the third grader’s backpack.
The father then left the campus after retrieving the gun.
The man’s son reportedly told school officials that he had the gun and that his father took it.
When Nuiry returned to pick up the 8-year-old after classes ended, he was taken into custody.
The school’s principal, Aryam Alvarez-Garcia, informed parents of the incident in a robocall.
“Miami-Dade School Police arrested a parent after he forgot to remove a weapon he had stored in his child’s backpack. There is no evidence that the child ever removed the object from his bag,” the call said.
Parents of students at the school reacted with complete shock upon hearing of the incident.
“I do think that parents with small children should have some type of safety precaution or measures in their home to make sure that their kid cannot have access to their weapon because that could be a dangerous situation,” parent Brian Finkelstein said.
Some parents even kept their kids at home from school Friday.
Miami-Dade Public Schools Executive Director John J. Schuster issued a statement that read: “The actions of this irresponsible parent who would risk the safety and security of children and others by storing a weapon in his child’s bookbag are abhorrent and reckless. It is extremely fortunate that this incident was handled quickly and safely, without any disruption to the school day.”
Officials have not specifed what type of gun the father retrieved from his son.