Betty Soto had a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, a six-inch fighting knife and a two-inch finger knife in her backpack.
The gun was exposed in her classroom with fourth-grade students present, according to a report by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
“I can’t believe something like that would happen at this school. I almost think they’re going to have to start checking teacher’s bags, or maybe even have a metal detector to set something off.”
Though Soto has a concealed weapons permit, she was arrested for carrying the weapons onto school property.
Soto’s teaching contract was already not renewed prior to this incident, a Pinellas County Schools spokesperson said. She will not return to the school for the remainder of the year and is ineligible for hire elsewhere within the school district.
She bonded out of jail on Monday night, CNN affiliate WFLA reported.
CNN has reached out to Gov. DeSantis for comment.
Source : CNN