St. Paul Woman Sentenced For Not Securing Gun Accidentally Discharged At School

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 34-year-old St. Paul woman pleaded guilty and has been sentenced in connection to a school incident where a boy brought in a gun that accidentally discharged.

Breanna Jones was sentenced to a 180-day stay of execution, two years of probation, and 40 hours of community work service. She was sentenced after she pleaded guilty to one gross misdemeanor count of negligent storage of a firearm in connection to the Nov. 17, 2016 incident.

According to the criminal complaint, Jones' 7-year-old nephew brought the gun, which was unsecured in a drawer and owned by Jones, to Crossroads Montessori Elementary on Nov. 17. There, authorities say a classmate saw the boy playing with the gun, asked to see it and was playing with it when it fired.

Officers recovered a smashed bullet fragment from the teacher who said she found it after it skipped across the floor towards her desk.

Jones, who has a permit to carry a firearm, allegedly told police that the Smith & Wesson .38 revolver was hers and for home protection. She also admitted to having no trigger lock or any other storage devices for the firearm.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi says the incident serves as an important reminder to parents.

"If you own a gun, it is not only your responsibility to lock up your gun and keep it stored safely away from children, it is the law," Choi said.

Additionally, Jones was ordered to retake a firearm safety course and pay a $150 fine plus surcharges.