A woman was arrested at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek after a gun fell out of her purse during an event for incoming freshmen. 45-year-old Cristina Yvonne Wilkes is facing charges for bringing a firearm onto school property—a violation of Florida state law.
The incident occurred during the school's "Freshman Invasion" event on Thursday night, which was geared toward welcoming new students, as mentioned by the Coconut Creek Talk. The gun's presence on campus came to light when it tumbled out of Wilkes' purse. Despite the school having new metal detectors, they were not operational at the time of the event, preventing the early detection of the weapon.
The Coconut Creek Police Department confirmed that Wilkes was in the school cafeteria when the gun was dropped. "She didn't make any threats," read a statement from the department, "but simply having the weapon on campus is a crime." Wilkes told investigators she had unintentionally brought the weapon with her, forgetting that it was in her purse, according to the WSVN news.
Authorities have indicated that there was no evidence to suggest Wilkes had any illegal intentions with the firearm, which contained a six-round magazine. It has not been clarified whether the gun was loaded at the time of the incident. As the law stands, citizens are not permitted to bring guns onto school campuses in Florida. Wilkes was at the orientation event for her child, as stated in the Sun Sentinel.
