Arrest made after 6-year-old brings loaded gun to elementary school

ORANGE, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) - A Virginia man has been arrested after a child brought a loaded gun to an elementary school last week.

According to the Orange Sheriff’s Office, Drakar Rawlings, 31, was taken to police on Tuesday and is facing charges that include allowing access to firearms by children and abuse and neglect of children.

Authorities said they were called to Orange Elementary School on Sept. 16 regarding a loaded firearm being found in the backpack of a 6-year-old student.

Investigators said they found that the student never intended to use the gun and didn’t know it had been stashed in his backpack.

Police said a school administrator eventually got the backpack, and the school was placed in “safe mode” while the situation was investigated that day.

Nobody was injured, and no threats were made before the discovery of the gun.

On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office thanked the community for their assistance while saying the case has been “extremely complex” with “a lot of false assumptions.”