Mom Charged After Allegedly Packing Gun in Child’s School Backpack to 'Return' It to Their Father: 'Could’ve Ended in Tragedy' By Bailey Richards

A Florida mom has been charged with two felonies after allegedly sending her young child to school with a firearm.

During the first week of classes at Coppergate Elementary School, also known as Coppergate School of the Arts, officials found a gun in a student’s backpack, according to a news release from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).

Upon arriving at the Middleburg-based school on Wednesday, Aug. 13, the student “discovered” the weapon in their bag, the CCSO said. They then “told their teacher,” who alerted school officials and the sheriff’s office, which was quick to alert the community to the situation.

“All children are safe,” Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook wrote in a Facebook post shared early that morning.

The notification came as the school was placed in what the CCSO called “secure status,” meaning educators could “continue instructing while preventing anyone to leave or enter school grounds,” the sheriff’s office said. The gun, meanwhile, was confiscated by CCSO deputies.

With the school secure and the gun in CCSO possession, the sheriff’s office began an investigation — which quickly led them to the student’s mother, Sierra Bronner.

“Through investigative techniques and interviews, we discovered the child’s parents don’t live together; the mother placed the gun in the backpack and told the young child to return the firearm to their father before they left for school,” the CCSO wrote in the news release.

“The child was taken to Coppergate Elementary by their father, who was unaware the gun was in the backpack. Therefore, the firearm ended up on school grounds,” the release stated.

Upon learning that Bronner, 39, had allegedly sent the child to school with the firearm, she was arrested and charged with “child neglect and giving a firearm to a minor,” the CCSO said. Both are felony charges, according to arrest records viewed by PEOPLE.

PEOPLE reached out to Bronner and a Coppergate School of the Arts spokesperson for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.

The Florida Department of Children and Families was also alerted to the situation and “responded,” according to the CCSO.

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In a statement, Sheriff Cook attributed the incident to a “poor decision,” and said the situation very well could have “ended in tragedy.”

“It’s crucial that parents know what their children are bringing to school before they leave home. Look in their backpacks, ask questions and have conversations on what’s appropriate to bring to school,” the sheriff said. “In this specific case, this was a poor decision and could’ve ended in tragedy.”

“I’m grateful for our partnership with Clay County District Schools and applaud our school resource deputies and detectives for their work to keep our students safe,” Cook added.