ROCKFORD, Mich. — A gun was found lying in a school parking lot Tuesday morning on the first day of preschool for many children in Rockford.
During drop-off at the Rockford Community Services & Administration Building, a parent spotted a firearm on the pavement. That parent picked it up and locked it in their own vehicle while calling police.
Officers arrived and secured the gun while investigating how it ended up outside the school building. They eventually determined the gun fell from the vehicle of a different parent who was dropping their child off at the administration building.
Police are in contact with the gun's owner. The situation remains under investigation.
While Michigan's law on concealed carry does prohibit people from carrying a firearm while on school property, it allows for exceptions during drop-off and pick-up times.
"A parent or legal guardian of a student of the school is not precluded from carrying a concealed pistol while in a vehicle on school property, if he or she is dropping the student off at the school or picking up the student from the school," MCL - Section 28.425o reads.
The details of the situation Tuesday morning were shared by the district in a letter to parents of students at the preschool and the nearby Parkside Elementary and River Valley Academy.
Multiple parents reached out to FOX 17 about the situation, sharing the letter with us.
"The safety and well-being of our children remain our highest priority," Superintendent Dr. Steve Matthews said in the letter. "Our security department and local law enforcement intervened quickly to ensure the safety of our students and staff."
In the letter, Dr. Matthews says the gun never entered any buildings or came into the possession of a student.
Read the letter below:
Memo to Rockford Parents from Sept 3, 2024 by WXMI on Scribd
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