FALL RIVER, MASS. (WHDH) - A Swansea couple appeared in court Wednesday, accused of having multiple unregistered and unsecured guns in their home after police investigated reports that a second-grade student brought a gun to his elementary school earlier this month.
Christopher Spangler, 51, of Swansea, and Heather Spangler, 43, of Swansea are both charged with five counts of Improper Storage of a Firearm Near a Minor, five counts of Possession of a Firearm Without a Firearms Identification Card, Possession of Ammunition Without a Firearms Identification Card, and two counts of Reckless Endangerment of a Child. They both pleaded not guilty to all charges against them.
On April 7, police said two students from Mark G. Hoyle Elementary School told their principal a fellow student showed them a gun that he had in his backpack.
Court documents revealed the principal reached out to Heather, who denied her son would do that, saying, “…does have a play gun at home that is blue and the bullets are orange. She also mentioned that his father, Christopher, packs his backpack in the morning prior to school and unpacks it when he comes home, therefore if something was in his bag they would have known about it.”
The accusation prompted police to get a search warrant for their home, and officers said they found five guns and ammunition, unsecred and unregistered, in a nightstand, a dresser, the basement, and the garage.
Court documents go on to show that police concluded “…a student described observing a firearm in (another student’s) backpack that was similar in description to the Beretta found in a night stand drawer…”
The couple had no comments outside court, but in their statement to police, accused other students of making up fake stories and bullying.
Both Christopher and Heather were released on personal recognizance, and ordered to turn over all of their guns and check in with probation monthly.
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