A distraught dad, who received a Face Time phone call from his crying son, showed up at school with an AK-47 handgun making death threats, Palm Beach County School District police said.
According to the arrest report, Christopher Freeman, 27, who lives near West Palm Beach, arrived at Bear Lakes Middle School, 3505 Shenandoah Blvd., just before 4 p.m. Monday, angry that his son had been “slammed” by a teacher.
An assistant principal had called Freeman earlier in the day about his son and during the conversation Freeman said, “you’re all dead,” the report stated.
A school police officer greeted Freeman when he arrived on campus. Freeman was in a wheelchair and the handle of a large handgun appeared to be sticking out of his pants, police said.
Freeman was visibly upset and yelling, “I want to see the guy who slammed my son. I’ve got something for him,” the report stated.
District police put the school on code red lockdown and took Freeman outside. When they asked if he was armed and if they could search him, he replied, “You ain’t touching me,” investigators said.
Backup officers arrived and searched Freeman. They found an AK-47 Mini Draco pistol stuffed in his pants, with an extended 30-round magazine and a bullet in the chamber, police said.
During police questioning, Freeman said he received the Face Time call from his son about 3 p.m. which was unusual on a school day. His son was crying and said a teacher had “slammed “ him. At that point an adult grabbed the child, the cellphone fell, and the call was ended, the report stated.
Freeman said he bought the gun from a friend a year ago and carried it for protection but forgot he had it on him and said he did not know weapons were not allowed on school property, police said.
He said he did not plan to harm anyone with the gun, officers said.
Freeman was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds, aggravated assault with a weapon, and disrupting a school function. Bond was set at $75,000, records showed.
wkroustan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4303 or Twitter @WayneRoustan
Hallandale High student with loaded gun on campus arrested
Weapon report prompts lockdown at Dillard High School; ex-student accused of Miramar school threat