US

FL Teacher Given Loaded .22 Pistol in Gift Box

A Florida teacher was most likely touched when a student and his grandmother delivered an end-of-the-year gift of toiletry items. But she was equally as shocked when she opened the box at home and found a loaded .22 pistol:

WPBF-TV reports:

Nat Harrington, spokesman for the School District of Palm Beach County, said the Allamanda Elementary School student unintentionally gave a teacher a gift in a box that also contained a handgun.

Harrington said a preliminary investigation revealed that the student’s grandmother gave the teacher a box of toiletry items as an end-of-year gift, but she didn’t know a gun was in the box.

The teacher received the box in the school parking lot, and the student never had possession of the gun, Harrington said.

Foxnews.com adds:

According to a report from the Palm Beach County School District, the eight-year-old student’s grandmother gave the Allamanda Elementary School teacher a gift of a box of toiletries while in the parking lot at the Palm Beach Gardens school on Tuesday afternoon.

However, after opening the present when she arrived home the teacher found a loaded .22-caliber handgun at the bottom of the box.

The grandmother said she was unaware there was a gun in the gift box.

The school district sent out a statement earlier Wednesday saying they were investigating whether the student had placed the gun in the box.

Comments (44)

  • ca lady
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 4:59pm

    Try again. My daughter gave me one for Christmas, wrapped in a Victoria’s Secret box!

    Report Post »  
  • TheDebtWeAllPay
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 2:59pm

    wow the blaze likes to repeat themselvees

    Report Post » TheDebtWeAllPay  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 2:45pm

    people are forced to hide their possessions in the most unreal places around West Palm and surrounding towns, the crime is horrific. Florida was a pretty safe place until the Haitians started floating in. then the drug wars really ramped up too. how sad. pretty place, once known as God’s Waiting Room.

    Report Post » BurntHills  
  • angelcat
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 1:49pm

    Darn! And all my students ever gave me were candles, lotion, and gift certificates!

    Report Post »  
  • Malcom0983
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:51am

    I would have said “No take backs!” and headed off to the range. I would be absolutely psyched if someone gave me toilet paper and a gun. The only two things you need to survive in this world. Well, those two items and a dog. That’s all you need to survive in this world. An extra box of ammo would have been cool but I guess she wasn’t THAT good of a teacher.

    Report Post »  
  • teddrunk
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:31am

    I’m more interested by the fact that someone gave a gift to a teacher. They’re over paid union thugs that get more than they deserve.

    Report Post »  
  • UlyssesP
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:22am

    Those were heavy toiletries.

    Report Post » UlyssesP  
  • commonsenseguy
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:19am

    does any one use commonsense any more, man how do you not see what is in the bottom of a box, did you not look first, did you not put all of the things in the box,hello, it is a box,there are no secret compartments in boxes, what an idiot, and if the kid did, someone should wipe the heck out of him,at least as bad as this was, the gun was not brought into the school, nor did any kids get their hands on it,

    Report Post »  
    • USAMama
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:08pm

      I’m kinda with you on this, I am a huge gun rights advocate but with that I believe the gun owners have to use common sense and responsability. If the kid put the gun in the box you have to wonder why does an 8 yr old have access to a LOADED gun? If the granny left it in the box or wrapped in a toiletry you have to check on granny, maybe she is getting a little senial or something, but if you have guns around the house and kids you should ALWAYS know where your guns are. To “accidentally” leave a loaded gun in a box and forget its there when you have kids or grandkids around is extremely irresponsable. If I was the mother I would be angry at my mom or mom in law for being irresponsable with her guns around the kids.

      I have kids and I have guns, and if you asked me where my guns are I could give you an exact inventory and location without hesitation. My kids on the other hand could not. And if they ever did come across one, they have been to the gun range and hunting trips enough to know gun safety and NOT to touch it. They certainly are not ignorant of the dangers.

      Report Post » USAMama  
  • Bhaub
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:17am

    …Wow, impressive comments!

    “A gun was involved? Everything’s fine! Small children are GREAT with firearms! No problems there. And teachers never worry about violence in school because we’ve never had a shooting in one before, so why should there be discomfort! Let’s all sing together! WOO!”

    Report Post » Bhaub  
    • vennoye
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 11:57am

      Chill…………..you will get high blood pressure! No one got hurt……save the indignation for something worth it.

      Report Post » vennoye  
    • Bhaub
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 12:41pm

      You’re right, you’re right. Kids are fine with guns. The REAL threat is Sesame Street.

      Report Post » Bhaub  
  • LadyIzShy
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:17am

    umm was the gun legally registered to someone? shouldnt THEY answer for this?

    Report Post » LadyIzShy  
  • kickagrandma
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:13am

    I know there are fancier, more powerful guns out there, but I LOVE my .22 handgun and revolver. Fits my hand and doesn’t sit me down after firing it like some of the others.

    Wish my ex-students had been that thoughtful.

    Of course, high school kids today might be a little more likely to USE it on us rather than GIFT it to us.

    *sigh*

    Report Post »  
  • rienheart
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:09am

    Ohhhhh, The Humanity, I‘m surprised the gun didn’t jump out of the box and start shooting everyone in sight. That’s what guns do. People don’t shoot people, guns do.

    Report Post »  
  • TopOfTheMuffin2u
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:04am

    I’d love a 22 pistol as a gift.

    Report Post »  
  • teddrunk
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:00am

    A .22? That’s a toy. What’s the big deal?

    Report Post »  
  • wildbluyonder11
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:52am

    Sounds like Grandma had a “senior moment” and probably used a box that was in her closet and didn’t check it thoroughly before using it as a gift box. Leave the kid alone, he had nothing to do with it.

    Report Post »  
  • raybojabo
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:52am

    Dang it Granny, Ah told ye ifin yer gonna carry yer palmgun in yer bra, make shur it ain’t gonner fall out when yer bent over doin sumthin!

    Report Post »  
    • raybojabo
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 2:40pm

      Member last time? It fell in that Weiner guy’s shorts an got that Larry Odonnel feller all worked up. No tellin whar it went this time.

      Report Post »  
  • bullzi
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:50am

    Jeez. The way the article relates to the gun you’d think it was a severed hand in the box instead. Oh that evil malicious Gun!

    Report Post »  
  • Rob
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:48am

    I would have shut up and kept the weapon.

    Report Post »  
  • HemiOwner
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:42am

    Keep it.

    Report Post » HemiOwner  
  • Mateytwo Barreett
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:42am

    Wait a minute- -the teacher found the gun in the bottom of a gift box? What’s her preference in perfume “Napalm in the Morning”?!!

    Report Post » Mateytwo Barreett  
  • Mateytwo Barreett
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:39am

    The gift that keeps on giving!

    Report Post » Mateytwo Barreett  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:34am

    Couldn’t put an apple in the box.

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
  • let us prey
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:31am

    Union bribe?

    Report Post » let us prey  
    • Opinionmonger
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 11:02am

      Maybe a hint, to off herself, during vacationseason, so it will not upset the curriculum.
      Merely as a thanks for poisoning young minds with all the lefty stuff ‘Yaknow.
      Sufficiently advanced political correctness is indistinguishable from sarcasm

      Report Post » Opinionmonger  
  • NOTAMUSHROOM
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:28am

    Really?

    Report Post »  
    • NOTAMUSHROOM
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:45am

      Seriously. Who mistakenly puts a loaded pistol in a gift box and hands it to the recipient in a parking lot? Give me a break. If this isn‘t a Wienerism I don’t know what is.

      Report Post »  
    • the_ancient
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:00am

      Given this story if very very very light on facts, the Gift box was probally something the Grandmother had, and if I had to guess the Gun was Granddaddy who may or may not be around anymore, and the gun was long forgotten and maybe even hidden in the box, so the Grandchild comes along and say “Grandma can I give some things to my teacher” Grandma goes and get a nice looking box, adds somethings to it, and gifts it to the teacher, who then finds the gun that was hidden in the box years ago by Grandpa…

      That is just 1 of a 100 ways I can think of this occurring, I know when my Grandfather passed we found all kinds of things, including old firearms, that no one, including my Grandmother knew he still had.

      Report Post » the_ancient  
    • landman1
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:36am

      Hey…this is like on Christmas Vacation where Chevy Chase Aunt wrapped up a live cat for a Christmas present. Or maybe she thought..“ what a great dispenser”. That new fragrance that’s sweeping the country. Shot in the Dark. Gotta get some

      Report Post »  
    • III Percent
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:41am

      A re-gifted gift. That was my first thought. Grandma hid her pistol in a toiletry which she thought a burglar would not bother.
      Read between the lines people.

      Report Post » III Percent  
  • biohazard23
    Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:25am

    Oops, my bad.

    Report Post » biohazard23  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:33am

      DARN! put the wrong box in. Can’t tell what it is after it is wrapped.
      Most likely a harmless mistake. Give the gun back and let bygones be bygones.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • publicuss
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:52am

      Give it back?! Keep the Gun, thank the GrandMother, give the the 8year old a pat on the back. The real question is, “Why are we reading about this?” The teacher should have contacted the GrandMother-direct, no need to have the incident made public. In doing so, the teacher has violated the ‘Right to Privacy’ civil rights of the 8 yr old and the GrandMother. So, perhaps the GrandMother and 8yr old are being used by the teacher’s union/NEA as scapegoats for something that they perpitraited to draw attention. Were the grandMother’s or the 8 yr olds finger marks on the .22?? Why is the school sys investigating and not the police, Why indeed…!

      Report Post » publicuss  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:53am

      My wife is a SPEC ED teacher. Hope she gets a nice gift certificate to the local Firearm’s store. Beat’s a ten year old fruitcake.

      Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • American Capitalist
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:17am

      Sweet, a new gun!!

      Report Post » American Capitalist  
    • CatB
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 11:32am

      What’s the problem teacher ? Note to students ..don’t gift union workers.

      Report Post »  
    • TomFerrari
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:17pm

      outlaw gift boxes!!!

      Report Post » TomFerrari  
    • sriser1
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:44pm

      Our teachers SHOULD be armed…..well….some of them.

      Report Post »  
    • GODSAMERICA
      Posted on June 2, 2011 at 4:51pm

      Now the question is, is the school board checking to see if their common sense and intelligence is in any of the boxes that they come across?

      Report Post » GODSAMERICA  

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