Denver Local News - Kindergartner Found with Gun in Backpack at School - Lakewood, Colorado

Denver Metro Area, as kids returned to school this week and parents begin to settle back into their morning routines, there are sure to be some mix-ups in the early morning hours before the first cup of coffee. But packing a gun into your kindergartner's backpack, instead of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is not the kind of "oops" that can be laughed off.

According to the Lakewood Police Department, a teacher at Molholm Elementary School was cleaning up and discovered the gun in a backpack belonging to a student who has just started kindergarten. The gun belonged to the parent of the student, who admits to have left it in the backpack accidentally. According to the LPD, the parent could face multiple charges, including child abuse and possession of a weapon on school grounds. The weapon was secured by school personnel at Molholm Elementary until the police arrived on scene. The parent, who has not been identified, was taken into police custody without incident.

It's not hard to imagine the fear of parents everywhere, not just in Denver Metro Area of a 5 year old "packing" on school grounds. The seriousness of this incident is enough to shatter a parent's confidence. The fear of a young child finding a parents gun in the home is bad enough, but knowing a parent basically put the gun in the hands of the child sends out a serious warning. There have been no details released yet confirming if the gun was loaded or not.

It is not unheard of for people to have guns in their homes in Colorado. Colorado has the "Make My Day Law" which allows citizens to use physical, even deadly force to protect their household against intruders. This law protects citizens from charges or prosecution either for the commission of the crime or in civilly for money damages.

This article will be updated as new details are released.

Update: Gun found in child's backpack was loaded. Father, 27 year old James Chavez of Lakewood, Colorado told police the gun was used for protection. Kindergartner was Chavez's 4 year old daughter.