Milwaukee County Circuit Court has dismissed the misdemeanor case against a Cudahy father whose son brought a handgun to Lincoln Elementary School in April 2025, vacating his earlier guilty plea after he completed a deferred-prosecution agreement. The boy's mother had her case dropped shortly after charges were filed, while the juvenile's separate proceedings are still pending. For families at the school, it closes one legal chapter in a case that rattled parents and staff last year.
Judge vacates plea after deferred agreement
Court records show 45-year-old Nan Bin Li entered a guilty plea in August 2025 as part of a deferred-prosecution agreement. After Li finished the terms of that program, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Owen Piotrowski ordered the case dismissed and vacated the plea he had previously entered, according to WISN.
How the weapon was discovered
Investigators say the situation began on April 30, 2025, when a student told a teacher they suspected a classmate had a gun at school. The principal then opened an unattended backpack and school staff secured a compact handgun. Prosecutors say a forensic review of the child's phone uncovered photos of the firearm going back to October 2024, suggesting the child had access for months. A search of the family home turned up two more firearms and an unlocked nightstand where the handgun had been kept, according to TMJ4.
Parents charged, then cleared
Milwaukee County prosecutors filed misdemeanor charges in May 2025 against both parents for leaving a loaded firearm within reach of a child, court documents show. The mother, Xiaoping Wang, saw her case dismissed soon after charges were filed. The father's case moved forward under a deferred plea and has now been dismissed after he completed that program, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee.
What deferred prosecution means
Deferred-prosecution agreements typically allow a court to pause or hold off on a case while a defendant completes conditions such as supervision, counseling or restitution. When those requirements are successfully completed, the case is usually dismissed and no conviction is entered. Legal references note that these programs are commonly used for some misdemeanors and other lower-level offenses, and that judges have discretion to approve or reject them, per FindLaw.
Next steps and local reaction
Local coverage has credited the student who spoke up and the Lincoln Elementary staff who quickly secured the weapon. Court records also show the juvenile's case is being handled separately from the parents' prosecutions, according to WISN. Officials with the Cudahy School District and the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
