Pellet Gun Was Loaded, But School Didn't Lie, Says Urbandale Police Chief

The pellet gun was loaded, but school officials didn't lie to parents.

Urbandale Police Chief Ross McCarty said Tuesday night that Sgt. Gary Lang, the officer in charge of the investigating the March 27 incident in which a second-grader brought a pellet gun to school, told school officials that the gun was not loaded.

"He takes full blame for misinforming (Urbandale Activities Director) Dr. Watson," said McCarty. "He doesn't have an explanation for it. He just said he made an error."

The gun, which he said looks a lot like the Glock weapons police use, had one pellet and a CO2 cartridge in it. The compressed air cartridge is what fires the pellet, so it was operational, said McCarty.

McCarty said the boys mother, Ashena Tucker, 23, was called to the school after Jensen Principal Julia Taylor got the boy to turn it over to her.

"She took it from the principal's desk and took off out of the school," said McCarty. "The mom comes in and sees the weapon, picks up the gun and leaves, probably against school officials' advice. That's probably about the time they called us.

"We found the gun in a vehicle at the grandmother's residence," he said.

Tucker has pleaded guilty of interfering with police, a misdemeanor charge, and will pay a $500 fine. 

Some Jensen parents, upset at police reports Monday that the pellet gun was loaded, that night and accused school officials of lying to them in an email that was sent to parents the day of the incident.

The and that no children or teachers were in danger.

You can read more about this on Urbandale Patch Wednesday.