SPOKANE, Wash. — A loaded handgun was discovered on playground equipment at Liberty Park Wednesday morning after accidentally falling from a visitor’s pocket.
A family visiting the park found the weapon on a saucer swing and immediately reported it to Spokane Police. The family stayed with the gun until officers arrived to ensure no other park visitors could access it.
Spokane Police say the situation doesn’t happen often, but the family handled it well.
“The person that called in was very good, they stayed with it so that no one else would touch it or be injured by it. Officers came out and collected it, made it safe and then took it to police property. Shortly after that, they started the process of trying to track down the owner of this gun,” said Officer Daniel Strassenberg of the Spokane Police Department.
Spokane Police were able to quickly find the owner of the gun, who explained what led to the weapon being left in the park.
“This person was at the park yesterday with a grandchild, playing at the park. Somehow, the gun was on his person, slipped out of his pocket, he was unaware of it and then this other person happened to find it,” Strassenberg said.
Police don’t plan on filing any charges against the owner because they believe it was purely accidental.
The discovery has raised safety concerns among nearby residents. Peter Christensen, who lives in the neighborhood, expressed concern about the incident.
“It’s concerning, I’d rather it not be out here in the park,” Christensen said.
Christensen is particularly worried about the families and young children who play at Liberty Park.
“If a kid found a loaded gun, that could cause serious problems. They would probably pick it up, think it was a toy. Really heavy, and then, ‘oh no!’ Something could happen,” he said.
Police say if you’re in a similar situation, don’t touch a gun unless it’s absolutely necessary.
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