April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

A parent-volunteer at Pinckney’s Navigator Upper Elementary School who brought a concealed weapon to school and dropped it on the gymnasium floor has been arraigned.

44-year-old Robert Berger forgot to leave his holstered handgun in his vehicle on March 17th, 2023 prior to volunteering at the school. The weapon fell off his belt and onto the gym floor during indoor lunch/recess.

Berger was arraigned Friday morning on a single count of possessing a weapon in a weapon-free school zone.

Berger does hold a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) and following the incident, he placed the gun back into his vehicle. Another parent and a few students reported what they saw to Navigator Principal Ruth Badalucco.

Superintendent Rick Todd and Principal Badalucco sent out a letter to the community following the incident, stating it was important to share information with families whose children attend Navigator Elementary, as it involves safety, transparency, trust and cooperation.

The incident, as described in the letter, “is one of the unfortunate examples of why it is so important for those who do choose to legally carry a gun to make sure it is properly secured in their vehicle or residence before entering a school building as accidents like this can happen as we learned today. Given how quickly this event occurred and the immediate response from the parent involved and by Mrs. Badalucco, we knew there was no immediate threat and thus, did not put the school on lockdown. The students who were with this parent in the gym responded with great composure and responsibility and never felt they were in any danger”.

A pretrial hearing will be held on May 8th.

Berger faces jail time, community service, and fines up to $2,000.