Orlando Sentinel – PALM BEACH GARDENS—A teacher at Allamanda Elementary School received an unwelcome, end-of-the-year gift from one of her students on Tuesday: a loaded .22-caliber handgun.
According to information from the Palm Beach County School District, it appears that the grandmother of the 8-year-old student brought a boxed present of toiletries to a teacher at the Palm Beach Gardens school, handing it to the teacher in the parking lot after school. The grandmother was apparently unaware that the gun was in the box, according to a statement from the district.
When the teacher opened the present at home later that evening, inside, at the bottom of the box, was the gun. “At no time was the gun in the school nor did the student have possession of the gun, according to a preliminary investigation,” the district said in an updated statement. Earlier on Wednesday, the district had sent out a statement saying that school police were looking into a report that the student might have given the teacher the gift. The investigation is ongoing; the identities of the teacher and student have not been released.
Good grief grandma. If you’re gonna give your 8 year old grandkid a toiletry bag full of goodies, at least make sure the deuce-deuce isn’t loaded. That’s grandparenting 101. How the hell else are they gonna learn to load their own piece?
Ok, seriously, love the idea of an end-of-the-year gift for teachers…they deserve it. But c’mon, gun or no gun… a bag of toiletries? What are we talking about here? Deodorant? A toothbrush and some toothpaste? No chance you know what brand of Old Spice I like or if I like my toothbrush firm or soft with Crest or AquaFresh. And if you do, we got a problem. Time to step up your game Allamanda Elementary, how ’bout a gift certificate to Olive Garden… is that too much to ask?
-bp