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Indiana Mother Faces Charges After Bringing Gun to Elementary School

An incident in Indianapolis has led to serious legal repercussions for a mother who was charged with a felony after allegedly bringing a firearm to her daughter’s elementary school and threatening a teacher, according to court records.

On April 11, Carrie Rivers, 48, was charged with unlawful possession of a gun on school grounds and harassment related to the events that unfolded at Valley Mills Elementary School.

The situation escalated on April 9 when officers from the Decatur Township School Police Department were called to respond to reports of an “irate parent” on campus. Upon their arrival, they observed Rivers with what appeared to be a firearm tucked into her waistband.

The conflict originated from a classroom assignment pertaining to “same-sexuality relationships.” The teacher involved, who displayed a photo of her wife and child on her desk, explained that a general assignment was given to the class about various flags, including the rainbow pride flag.

Rivers expressed discontent with this assignment, accusing the teacher of imposing her personal beliefs regarding sexuality onto her daughter. However, the educator clarified that students had the option to opt-out of the task.

According to the police affidavit, Rivers acknowledged her possession of a firearm during her encounter with law enforcement. Officer Tabetha Emenaker noted that Rivers seemed unaware of the legal implications of carrying a gun in a school setting, stating that she regularly carried the weapon and had previously accessed school premises with it.

Following the incident, Rivers informed authorities that she would be withdrawing her daughter from the school and reportedly insulted the teacher using a derogatory term.

Despite initially being let go, Rivers went on to send threatening messages to the teacher shortly thereafter. These messages contained alarming statements, including threats that invoked divine condemnation, and accused the teacher of engaging in predatory behavior by promoting same-sex relationships.

The police report clarified that at no point were direct threats aimed at students or staff during the initial encounter. The school officials managed to escort Rivers from the property without further incident, retrieving the weapon from her outside the building. The district issued a statement indicating that Rivers claimed she had forgotten to remove her handgun before entering the school.

Following the revelation of the abusive messages, authorities issued an arrest warrant and prohibited Rivers from returning to the school grounds.

In a statement to the media, Rivers’ husband, Leon, defended her actions, asserting that she did not intend to harm anyone and routinely carried a firearm for her security. He expressed that it was an honest mistake where she forgot her firearm while rushing into the school.

Leon Rivers also remarked on the commonality of parents bringing firearms onto school property, claiming, “We see [other parents] bring guns into the school all the time, just to drop kids off.”

Representatives from both the Decatur Township School Police Department and Valley Mills Elementary School have yet to provide additional comments regarding the incident.

Source
people.com