Petersburg, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - On Wednesday, Dec. 4, a teacher in Petersburg found a gun in a preschool student’s backpack.
It happened at Westview Early Childhood Education Center, which prepares 3 and 4 year-olds for Kindergarten. The preschool is part of Petersburg Public Schools.
The teacher immediately notified school administration and the firearm was removed.
Police later arrested Brianne Lucas and charged her with felony child neglect and reckless handling of a firearm.
Staff at the preschool said the gun was quickly secured and never posed a direct threat to those at the school.
“At no point was the weapon displayed or removed from the backpack and the safety of students and staff was never directly threatened,” the preschool said. “Law enforcement is actively investigating the situation. We encourage all parents to speak with their children about the importance of reporting any safety concerns and ask that they check their children’s backpacks for prohibited items every morning.”
