Texas dad arrested after gun found in 3-year-old’s backpack at pre-K

A Texas dad was arrested after his 3-year-old son showed up to his San Antonio pre-school with a gun in his backpack, police said.

Pete Robles, 35, was taken into custody after teachers at the West Side Pre-K 4 SA center found the handgun in the dumbfounded student’s backpack Tuesday morning, school and police officials said in a statement.

“The child was unaware that the gun was in the backpack,” Pre-K 4 SA officials noted, adding that backpacks would not be allowed on campus until further notice.

Police officials said an off-duty parks officer who was providing security at the school was luckily there to help teachers confiscate the weapon and report it to the San Antonio PD.

“This incident underscores the important collaboration between the school faculty and law enforcement personnel,” SAPD Chief William McManus said in a statement. “Swift action was taken to address the situation and make an arrest. There are no current threats to the safety of the school or its students.”

Police said they will keep an increased presence at the school for the foreseeable future.

The boy involved in the incident has since been placed in the custody of Child Protective Services, with Robles booked and released Wednesday on a $4,500 bond.

He was charged with felony child endangerment, but the SAPD said additional charges and arrests could be made as they investigate the incident.

The incident brings to mind the disturbing shooting of Richneck Elementary School teacher Abigail Zwerner, who was fired at by a 6-year-old student in her Virginia classroom earlier this year.

However, unlike the Texas incident, the boy involved in Zwerner’s shooting appeared to be cognizant of his actions, allegedly gloating when he believed he killed his teacher, according to court documents unsealed last week.

“I did it … I shot that bitch dead,” the pint-sized pistol packer bragged, the docs show. “I got my mom’s gun last night.”

So far in 2023, there have been 24 shootings in American schools involving injuries or deaths, according to Education Week, which is actively tracking such incidents.

The shootings have killed 13 people so far, including nine children and four adults.