Texas boy, 4, takes loaded handgun to school; father charged

CORPUS CRISTI, Texas (KWTX) - An off-duty police officer with the Corpus Christi Police Department working at a school campus immediately took possession and secured a weapon after a 4-year-old boy took a loaded handgun to school.

Police said it happened at approximately 9:15 am on Wednesday, August 31, at a school campus located in the 1100 block of Villarreal.

Investigators arrived at the student’s home and identified the owners of the handgun, the child’s parents.

The boy’s father, 30-year-old Paul Torres, was arrested and charged with making a firearm accessible to children and abandoning or endangering a child.

The Corpus Christi Police Department is reminding Texans to make sure their firearms are safely stored.

“We recommend that all guns are unloaded, trigger locked, and in a locked gun safe, or pistol box with the ammunition locked away separately. Keys for the guns and ammunition should be located out of reach of children, away from the weapons and ammunition. Check frequently to make sure the items are stored properly and remain secure,” the department said.

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