NORTH CAROLINA — Two parents in North Carolina have been arrested in separate incidents after firearms were discovered at elementary schools, according to authorities.
In Nash County, deputies with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office said a firearm was found Wednesday morning on a school bus carrying students to M.B. Hubbard Elementary School in Battleboro.
Investigators said a 10-year-old student noticed his bookbag felt heavier than usual and, after opening it, found a small-caliber handgun inside. Officials said the child immediately closed the bag and gave it to the bus driver, who alerted school administrators. A school resource officer secured the weapon, which authorities identified as a Diamondback DB9 subcompact 9mm pistol. It was loaded but did not have a round chambered.
The child’s mother, 30-year-old Malasia Brianna Coleman, was later arrested and charged with failure to properly store a firearm, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Authorities said the child was unaware the gun was in the bag and did not intend to bring it to school.
In a separate case in Cumberland County, police in Fayetteville said a school resource officer responded Monday morning after a student triggered a magnetometer at Lucile Souders Elementary School. A search led to the discovery of an unloaded firearm.
Officials said the student and their parents cooperated with the investigation. The child’s mother, 26-year-old Donreon McDuffie, was arrested and charged with failing to properly store a firearm. She was later released from the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $5,000 unsecured bond.
Authorities emphasized that in both cases, student safety protocols worked as intended and no injuries were reported.
