Newtown CT school security guard arrested for having gun on school property
Newtown CT October 21 2023 Police identified a local school security guard who was arrested after detectives found a firearm inside his parked vehicle, officials said.
Charles Baldwin, 48, was working at Newtown High School as an unarmed security guard at the time of the incident, police said in a news release Thursday afternoon.
“There was no threat or danger to students or staff of Newtown Public Schools at any time during this incident,” police said in the news release. “There is no indication that Baldwin ever possessed or intended to possess the firearm inside any of the Newtown Public Schools.”
Police learned of the weapon after school security staff called the police department around 8 a.m. Thursday. Detectives worked with the Board of Education’s security personnel and found a loaded 9mm Sig Sauer pistol in the passenger compartment of Baldwin’s vehicle, according to police.
Superintendent of Schools Chris Melillo said in a message to the community Thursday that no students or staff were ever in any danger, and that Baldwin was cooperative.
“Newtown Police in conjunction with Newtown Public Schools employees handled the situation safely and in such a way that it did not cause a distraction to school activities,” he said. “We understand that the presence of a firearm on campus is unsettling, and we want to assure you that this was an isolated incident.”
Baldwin was charged with storing a pistol in an unattended motor vehicle, illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle and possession of a weapon on school grounds, police said. He was released on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Danbury on Nov. 3.
