GAINESVILLE, Ga. — The parents of an 8-year-old boy who brought a loaded handgun to a Hall County elementary school last week have been charged, authorities said.
Investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office arrested Heather Thuy Rodriguez, 31, of Gainesville, on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 26, following the initial investigation. The child’s father, Cristian Ruben Rodriguez-Martinez, 31, of Gainesville, turned himself in at the Hall County Jail on Friday afternoon.
Each parent was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct for allegedly leaving the weapon unsecured and accessible to their son, according to sheriff’s office Public Information Officer Derreck Booth.
The charges stem from an incident at Myers Elementary School in which the second-grade student brought a handgun onto campus.
According to the preliminary investigation, the child removed the weapon from the console of his parents’ vehicle and took it into his room on Wednesday evening, Feb. 25. He then carried the firearm to school the following morning.
At approximately 8:15 a.m. Thursday, the boy showed the gun to a classmate, who reported it to a teacher. The school principal searched the student, confiscated the handgun and immediately notified the school resource officer, prompting a law enforcement investigation.
Authorities said the firearm had a loaded magazine but no round in the chamber.
Heather Rodriguez posted a $1,300 bond and was released from jail late Thursday night. Cristian Rodriguez-Martinez posted a $1,300 bond and was released early Saturday morning.
The investigation remains ongoing.
