Phoenixville man charged after kid goes to school with gun in backpack Police

Russell Matthews, 58, was charged with reckless endangerment of children and recklessly endangering another person after a child found a gun in their backpack, officials said.

A man from Phoenixville has been charged after a child showed up to school with a semiautomatic handgun loaded with five rounds of ammunition, the Chester County District Attorney's Office said on Monday.

According to prosecutors, a student at Hares Hill Elementary School in East Pikeland Township discovered the gun in his backpack and alerted a school counselor of the weapon at around 12:18 p.m. on April 13.

School administrators locked the gun in a drawer until police arrived, prosecutors said.

The child recognized the gun as a relative's, prosecutors said, which lead investigators to interview 58-year-old Russell Matthews who admitted to detectives that he placed the firearm in the wrong backpack.

"Earlier today, a student informed Hares Hill Elementary School administrators that a gun was accidentally transported to school in the student’s backpack," Phoenixville Area School District Superintendent Melissa McTiernan said in a statement. "At no time did the gun leave the backpack. The situation was handled swiftly and safely with police involvement. All district policies and procedures were closely followed. "

"We understand how upsetting this is and we are taking the situation very seriously," she continued. "We are working closely with the student’s family and law enforcement and are communicating with our school community."

No injuries were reported due to the incident.

Matthews has been charged with reckless endangerment of children and recklessly endangering another person, prosecutors said.
Matthews was taken into custody and has an arraignment scheduled for April 23, according to court records.

No lawyer for Matthews was currently listed as of Monday evening.

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