Nighttime Custodian Arrested for 'Target Practice' in School Basement

In what one police chief called a "boneheaded mistake," a Cincinnati man was arrested for taking a gun into the school where he served as nighttime custodian and using that gun for target practice in the school basement.

Brian McConnell, nighttime custodian of Amity Elementary School, had allegedly finished cleaning up the school during his nighttime rounds last Thursday, and needed a way to pass the time. While other janitorial staff might pass the time with a book, or a few hours of "Angry Birds," McConnell reportedly decided to do do something a little different: shoot at stacks of phonebooks in the basement as a form of "target practice" with his .38 caliber revolver.

Brian McConnell (Photo Credit: Deer Park Police Department)

Naturally enough, police were called to the scene and McConnell was arrested for possession of a firearm on school grounds. He has since managed to leave jail after posting a $100,000 bond. McConnell has no prior criminal record, though he may have once the case is concluded, as the grand jury has not specified which charges it will or won't add to his indictment.

Amity Elementary School (Photo Credit: Cincinnati.com)

Deer Park Police Chief Michael Schlie told Deer Park's Fox 19 that McConnell's actions amounted to a "stupid, boneheaded mistake," but did not suggest that McConnell was violent or dangerous.

Rather, it appears that McConnell - who has not yet been fired from his position - was well-liked and simply acted stupid.