Cape Coral father arrested after school finds loaded handgun in 5-year-old child's backpack

CAPE CORAL, Fla.- The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man accused of child negligence after his 5-year-old child was found carrying a loaded handgun inside their backpack into Trafalgar Elementary School.

Police arrested James Edward Wilson, 50, on Thursday, after the school's screening system, OPENGATE, alerted the staff and prompted law enforcement to search the student's backpack, where law enforcement found the firearm. 

Authorities said the student was isolated when the firearm was discovered.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, the student was unaware of the 9mm handgun inside their backpack.

An investigation conducted by the police’s violent crimes unit found an interview of the child’s father admitting to putting the weapon in the backpack to transport it to his car. The father then added that he forgot to remove the gun.

Wilson was then arrested and charged with child neglect and improper storage of a firearm. 

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