STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A handgun was located in the backpack of a preschool student at an elementary school in Sterling Heights on Tuesday morning, police say.
According to the Sterling Heights Police Department, officers responded to the Head Start Program at Schwarzkoff Elementary School around 8:15 a.m.
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Police say staff found the gun in the child’s backpack and notified police.
The police department is now working with Utica Community Schools to investigate how the gun ended up in the child’s possession.
Police say there is no threat to the school community at this time.
The district provided the following letter that went out to school families about the incident:
Dear Schwarzkoff Community,
I want to share with you a situation being addressed in partnership with the City of Sterling Heights Police Department and Macomb County Head Start Agency.
As you may know, Schwarzkoff is the site of a Macomb County Action Head Start program. This federal preschool program is administered by the county and located at Schwarzkoff Elementary.
This morning, as students were entering the building, the Macomb County Action Head Start teacher observed what appeared to be a weapon in a student’s backpack. The teacher followed safety protocols and took immediate action to secure the backpack without alarming the students.
The teacher sent the backpack to the office where it was confirmed that a weapon was in the bag. The Sterling Heights police were immediately contacted and they identified the object as a handgun registered to the child’s parent. The pre-school child indicated that they did not know that a weapon was in the backpack. Police are actively investigating this situation and the student is not in the program.
We would like to commend the teacher and our staff for taking immediate action. As you know, Utica Community Schools has strict protocols to ensure the health and safety of our students. These protocols and the diligence of our staff ensured the safety of our staff and students.
Since this is a criminal investigation, we would refer all questions about the investigation to the Sterling Heights Police Department at 586-446-2945. We will continue to fully cooperate with Sterling Heights Police Department and Macomb County in their work. We appreciate their proactive partnership with our district and their commitment to the safety of our educational community.
Stay with WXYZ.com for updates on this developing story.
