Mother charged after another 6-year-old brings gun to Virginia school: police

The mother of a 6-year-old has been charged by Norfolk, Virginia, police after school staff discovered her child brought a handgun to school — the latest in a shocking spate of young children managing to sneak firearms into class. 

Officers responded to a call from Little Creek Elementary School Friday that a student had a weapon, police said. School staff turned over a handgun to officers when they arrived, and no one was injured.

The child’s mother, Letty M. Lopez, 35, has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor  and allowing a child to have access to loaded firearm, police said. She was released on criminal summons.

Norfolk Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Washington told CNN that police arrived after the children had left school for the day.

“School administration immediately enacted safety and security protocols including calling Norfolk Police,” Washington said. “School administration also immediately contacted division leadership and the Communications office.”

The Little Creek Elementary firearm discovery occurred just over a month after a troubled 6-year-old boy brought a gun to school at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, just 26 miles northwest of Norfolk, and shot his first-grade teacher.

The boy’s parents have not been charged in connection to the shooting and have said the gun their child had somehow gotten access to had been secured.

Friday’s gun scare also follows at least two separate cases earlier this month, where minors were found with firearms on school property. In both instances, adults were charged in connection to the children’s possession of a weapon.

Police responded to a call to Joseph K. Gotwals Elementary School in Norristown, Pennsylvania, after students reported to school staff that a 6-year-old boy had been flashing a gun and bullets on the bus, NBC10 reported. 

Officers reportedly recovered an unloaded handgun and loose bullets from the child. The boy’s mother, Jasmin Devlin, 30, surrendered to police and was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment, the station reported.

A 6-year-old, meanwhile, was found with an unloaded 9mm handgun in his backpack at Fairview Elementary School school in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, WRAL reported. 

Police charged Marvin Ray Davis, 58, with storage of a firearm to protect a minor. Davis is not related to the boy, but lives in the same house as him. 

Lopez could not immediately be reached for comment.