Cape Coral five year old takes gun to school; father arrested and charged

CAPE CORAL, FLA. — The Lee County School District says a loaded handgun was found inside a kindergarten student’s backpack at Trafalgar elementary Tuesday morning - prompting a quick response from staff and police.

The Cape Coral Police Department says a five-year-old student unknowingly went to school with the gun in their backpack after entering campus through the OPENGATE weapons detection system.

A district representative says the situation triggered an alert to school staff, who immediately separated the student from others and safely located the loaded handgun.

No one was injured.

Investigators say the child did not know the gun was inside the backpack and had no intent to harm anyone, a determination echoed by the Lee County School District.

Cape Coral Police say the child’s father, James Edward Wilson IV, was arrested and is facing charges of child endangerment and improper storage of a firearm.