SWANSEA, Mass. — A mother and father from Swansea appeared before a judge today after being arrested on multiple firearms charges following a report that a second-grade student may have brought a gun to school.
Swansea police developed probable cause to obtain a search warrant for the couple’s residence, where they located five firearms—four of which were loaded.
The seized firearms included a Ruger .22-caliber handgun, a Beretta 9mm handgun, a Ruger .45-caliber handgun, a 12-gauge Savage Stevens shotgun, and a Marlin .22-caliber rifle, along with various types of ammunition.
Police say the firearms were unregistered and improperly stored.
Fifty-one-year-old Christopher Spangler and 43-year-old Heather Spangler were charged with five counts of improper storage of a firearm near a minor, five counts of possession of a firearm without a firearms identification card, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card, and two counts of reckless endangerment of a child.
Both pleaded not guilty and were released on personal recognizance. They are required to surrender all firearms in their possession. Their next court date is scheduled for June.
“This situation had the potential to end in a tragedy,” said Chief Mark Foley. “Because of the work of our Swansea police investigators, no one was hurt and several firearms that were possessed illegally and stored unsafely are now off the street.”
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