Armed guard in Michigan school leaves gun in bathroom

Following the NRA's advice to put armed guards in schools, the Chatfield Charter School in Lapeer, Michigan, hired an armed security guard to patrol its campus.  Clark Arnold seems like a good choice, as a 32-year veteran of the local sheriff's department.

But only three days after being hired, Clark left his handgun in a bathroom for kids to find.

Luckily, the gun was unloaded, and no one was injured.

No charges are likely to be filed.

From an article:

On January 13^th of this year…just four days ago the Chatfield School in Lapeer, Michigan followed the directive of the NRA…to the letter.  They hired an armed guard, an experienced Sheriff’s Deputy to take charge of security for their 500 child school.  The announcement said “Thirty-two year retired Sheriff’s deputy in charge” and it was observed by the local Tea Party spokesperson that “a visitor to Chatfield School might mistake Clark Arnold for a smiling, kindly grandfather waiting for one of its nearly 500 students.” 

Arnold, a 32-year veteran of the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Dept., as well as a firearms instructor, has been hired by the 16-year-old charter school academy as the county’s first armed school security officer. The decision was applauded by Bruce Cady, a trustee on the Chatfield Board of Directors, who added, “Absolutely. The decision was made for the good of the kids. We took the wellbeing of the kids and their safety into consideration. The events that have been happening in the schools is [sic] very concerning and that’s why we took the action we did.” 

Just three days later…a report from the Flint Journal says that “A security officer at a Lapeer charter school left a firearm unattended in a school bathroom on Monday, Jan. 14, a school official said. 

Further, “the security officer “made a breach in security protocol” and left an unloaded weapon in a restroom for a few moments,” said Chatfield School Director Matt Young. 

Young said the school has been in contact with local authorities about the matter and wouldn’t discuss any possible repercussion for the officer, calling it “a personnel matter.” Young also declined to name the security officer. 

Lapeer resident Tris Fritz, who has children in third and fifth grade at the school said “I think that some kid might not think it’s a real gun. They might think it’s a toy. They’re going to be curious, that’s the nature of a child. I know people are human and they make mistakes,” Fritz added. “That’s kind of a big mistake.”

More than "kind of" a big mistake, we'd say.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.