58-year-old man charged with misdemeanor after Rocky Mount police find unloaded gun in 6-year-old boy's backpack

Rocky Mount police have arrested a man and charged him on Wednesday with a misdemeanor after officers found an unloaded gun the day before inside a 6-year-old boy's backpack at an elementary school.

Marvin Ray Davis, 58, is charged with storage of a firearm to protect a minor.

Davis received a $4,000 unsecured bond. He is due in court on March 1 in Rocky Mount.

Rocky Mount Police Chief Robert Hassell saidDavis is not related to the boy who brought the gun to school, but he lives in the same home as the child.

On Tuesday, officers found an unloaded 9-millimeter handgun in the boy's backpack at Fairview Elementary School.

Administrators called police at 10:47 a.m. Tuesday to report that the boy had a gun, according to a news release from the Rocky Mount Police Department.

Rocky Mount police said staff on campus secured the backpack and removed the child from the classroom. Police said due to the protocols in place and the quick action by the staff on campus, "a potential major incident was avoided."

“There were no threats made with the weapon and it was never displayed by the child,” Rocky Mount police wrote in the release.

The Rocky Mount Police Department and Nash County Public encourage students that if they see something to say something to a teacher, school resource officer or trusted adult.

"The situation that occurred [Tuesday] should be a reminder to all gun owners to secure their weapons in a safe manner so that minors cannot possess them," Hassell said. "This was a preventable situation.

"Fortunately, a major event was avoided because staff members of the school and our officers followed proper protocols.”