Security officer leaves gun unattended at school

Officials say a security officer hired to help protect a Michigan charter school left an unloaded handgun unattended in a school bathroom.

Chatfield School Director Matt Young tells The Flint Journal that the security officer "made a breach in security protocol" in leaving the gun "for a few moments" on Monday. Young says no children at the school in Lapeer were in contact with the gun or put in danger. "The school has put additional security procedures in place that follow local law enforcement practices and guidelines," Young said in a statement. "At no time was any student involved in this breach of protocol. We will continue to work on improving school security."

The school for kindergarten through eighth grade recently hired the security officer, who is retired from the Lapeer County sheriff's department, to help strengthen security.

The school is located about 45 miles northwest of Detroit. The county prosecutor's office says a criminal charge isn't expected, since no one was harmed.

The security officer's name wasn't released.