Mom arrested after 7-year-old boy brings loaded gun to NYC school, police say

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Police said a 7-year-old boy in Queens, N.Y., brought this .22 caliber handgun (above left) to school on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. Authorities also recovered a flare gun (right) at the scene.

/ Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, NYPD

(CBS/WCBS) NEW YORK - The mother of a 7-year-old New York City boy who police say brought a .22 caliber handgun to his school in Queens on Thursday has been arrested.

Deborah Farley, 53, was arrested Friday on criminal possession of a weapon, endangering the welfare of a child and other charges, CBS New York reports.

The Department of Education says Wave Preparatory Academy in Far Rockaway was placed on lockdown after the gun was found in the boy's backpack Thursday.

According to CBS New York, police say Farley told them she was out with the handgun, ammunition and a flare gun in her son's backpack but forgot to take them out before the boy left for school Thursday morning.

After realizing her mistake, the mother of four went the school around 9:30 a.m. and took the 7-year-old out of classes, claiming he had a dental appointment, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. But when she searched the boy's bag, she was unable to find the handgun.

When Farley asked her son where the weapon was, he reportedly thought she was referring to the flare gun and told her he had given it to a friend. He was apparently unaware there was also a handgun in his bag.

Farley alerted the principal who notified police, CBS New York reports.

When the backpack was searched, Browne says, a Phoenix Arms .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a magazine with 10 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition and 14 additional rounds in a plastic bag were found inside. The unloaded flare gun was found in another boy's bag.

Police reportedly say the handgun was unlicensed and that while searching Farley's home, investigators also found seven Ziplock bags of marijuana.

According to CBS New York, Farley's two youngest children, the 7 and 9-year-old, were removed from the home and placed into protective child services, Browne said. Her two older children are both adults.

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January 17, 2013 - Seven-year-old brought loaded gun to NYC school, police say

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by crashdummy38 January 20, 2013 4:37 PM EST: She broke existing very strict NYC, state and federal laws, and got caught. Just how would more and more anti gun laws have prevented this please ?; Reply to this comment


by Woodworkerwaynew January 20, 2013 1:08 AM EST: OK, a little confused here - how did her getting busted over the gun result in a "search of her home" ? Not defending her or her actions (sounds like she wasn't the brightest bulb in the box) but what about the gun bust / arrest should have led to a search ?; Reply to this comment


by pdp1171 January 19, 2013 3:38 PM EST: What do you use a flare gun for in New York City?
All guns should be retrofited with RFID chips so that they can
be detected at the entrances of buildings.; Reply to this comment


by judymar14 January 19, 2013 10:55 AM EST: Another gun owner with an unlicensed gun who shouldn't have one in the first place. Likely she put it in there to carry out a criminal act (drug dealing) to protect herself and not being caught with it on her body if stopped by the police and forgot to take it out.

So everyone with a legal right to own a gun should be compared to her?; Reply to this comment


by FormerUSMCSergeant January 18, 2013 9:32 PM EST: Th NRA will pay for her defense claiming she's a persecuted gun owner - just watch.; Reply to this comment


by SUZAMBA January 18, 2013 7:44 PM EST: She used her son's backpack to carry the weapons around? Not to bright yea! Guess she won't be named "Mother of The Year!"; Reply to this comment

by Sax1031 January 18, 2013 5:09 PM EST

another 7 year old brought a gun to school in new york. but her mom is ex NYPD who has a Captain as a boyfriend, so she wasn't arrested and the media ignores that story.

Reply to this comment


by DonSmithnotTMD January 18, 2013 5:39 PM EST: I would suspect she also wasn't a drug dealer. Love to see mom's criminal record. Certainly, she is among those to which the leftists want to compare the rest of us.


by vissionquest January 18, 2013 8:33 PM EST: NO Don Smith, us lefties are not painting you with her stupidity, we want your help keeping stupid people from having guns.