A man has been taken into custody after a 6-year-old student in Virginia took a gun to school in their backpack, with authorities believing that the child was unaware it was there.

Drakar L. Rawlings, aged 31, faces charges including one count of negligence for allowing children access to firearms, one count of child abuse and neglect, along with two counts related to illegal possession or transportation of weapons due to being a convicted felon, as reported by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

The specific relationship between the suspect and the child has not been clarified yet, and the inquiry is still ongoing according to the sheriff’s office.

Gun discovered by school staff

It is still unclear who is representing Rawlings in the court proceedings.

This incident took place on September 16 at Orange Elementary School in Orange, Virginia, situated approximately 29 miles northeast of Charlottesville, as announced by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday afternoon.

An instructional assistant located the firearm in the child’s backpack, after which a school administrator and a resource officer took possession of the bag, the sheriff’s office stated during the initial report of the incident.

According to the latest information from the sheriff’s office, it appears that the student did not intend to use the gun and likely wasn’t aware it was in their backpack.

“The case has been intricate and has posed several challenges that necessitated extensive investigation and collaboration from many members of the Orange Sheriff’s Office, especially from the investigations section,” the sheriff’s office expressed on Tuesday afternoon.

Numerous agencies joined efforts in the investigation, including Orange County Public Schools, Virginia State Police, Probation and Parole, the Department of Forensic Science, the Department of Social Services, the Town of Orange Police Department, and the Orange Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.

“We value this interagency collaboration,” the sheriff’s office commented.

Rawlings is currently being held at Central Virginia Regional Jail without bail, and the investigation is still in progress.

Saleen Martin is a reporter for YSL News’s NOW team. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin