A Wendell Watson kindergarten teacher was alerted to a loaded gun in her student’s backpack Monday afternoon.

An affidavit from the Polk County Sheriff’s Department said the student’s father had just returned from vacation and while unpacking the car, he accidentally placed his Springfield Armory XDS pistol in his son’s backpack.

That bag was brought into the home and placed on the kitchen counter with the other luggage from the car.  The next morning, the student was dropped off at school with that bag.

Parents told Spectrum Bay News 9 they received an automated phone call Monday afternoon from the school.

Polk County School District sent us a copy of that call which said:

Today at Wendall Watson Elementary, a student was found to be in possession of a handgun while on campus.

The student did not threaten anyone with the handgun. A staff member saw the weapon inside the student’s backpack. School staff and law enforcement immediately responded to the situation, and the weapon was confiscated without incident.

No weapons are allowed on any Polk County Public Schools campus.

We are cooperating with law enforcement as they continue their investigation.

Any school-related discipline is being handled in accordance with the student code of conduct.

As always, we encourage students, staff and community members to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement and school administrators.

Parents said they were mortified to hear their 5-year-olds explain what the handgun looked like.

“My daughter was able to tell me – in detail, what that gun looked like; it was scary,” said parent Breanne Goolsby. “I check my daughter's backpack everyday, I think it was negligent to not know where that gun was put.”

Goolsby said that she went on Facebook to try connecting with other parents after she received the phone call from the school. 

“How don’t you know where that gun’s at, at the end of the day? If you’re coming home from vacation, why wasn’t that gun put away when you got home,” said Goolsby. 

When the student found the loaded gun in his backpack, he alerted his teacher who then walked him to the principal’s office and contacted law enforcement. 

The dad, who we are not naming to protect the identify of the student, was charged with failure to store a firearm.