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

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

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

On Wednesday, Aug. 13, the student “discovered” the gun in their bag and then “told their teacher,” who immediately notified school officials and the sheriff’s office. The CCSO quickly informed the community about the incident.

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

The school was put in what the CCSO called a “secure status,” which allowed teachers to continue instructing students while preventing anyone from entering or leaving the campus. The gun was taken by CCSO deputies.

With the school safe and the gun in police custody, the sheriff’s office started an investigation that 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 said in the news release.

“The child was taken to Coppergate Elementary by their father, who didn’t know the gun was in the backpack. That’s how the firearm ended up on school grounds,” the release added.

After learning that Bronner, 39, allegedly sent the child to school with the gun, she was arrested and charged with “child neglect and giving a firearm to a minor,” both 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 a response.

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

Sheriff Cook called the incident a “poor decision” and said it could have “ended in tragedy.”

“It’s crucial that parents know what their children are bringing to school before they leave home. Check their backpacks, ask questions, and talk about what’s appropriate to bring,” she said. “In this case, it was a poor decision and could have ended badly.”

Cook also praised the school and police for their response: “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.”