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Security Guard Forgets Gun In School Bathroom

LAPEER (WWJ) - Officials at Lapeer's Chatfield School are taking a fresh look at security measures after an armed guard this week accidentally left his gun in a school bathroom.

In a letter to students, school officials said the weapon, forgotten in a stall by Arnold Clark, was unloaded and discovered within a few minutes. (View  a copy of the letter).

WWJ Newsradio 950's Sandra McNeil spoke with Lapeer County Prosecutor Byron Konschuh who said the incident was both scary and unfortunate -- but not criminal, since no one was hurt.

"There are charges such as reckless use of a weapon, possessing a weapon in an area where you're not supposed to, having an unlicensed weapon and all kinds of weapons offenses, but I can't think of one where this fits under any of those definitions," he said.

Konschuh said he's thankful the gun was found by an adult and immediately secured.  "It's not beyond the imagination that an elementary school child could have picked up the gun and walked out in the hallway. Now they're standing there with an unloaded gun -- what happens then?"

Konschuh, who knows Clark personally, said the guard is one of the most professional, responsible people he knows.

The armed security guard was hired in the wake of the shootings last month at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.

School officials are promising to make sure such an incident never happens again. They won't say whether Clark was disciplined.

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