Substitute teacher arrested for bringing gun to second-grade classroom

ELKHART, Ind. (WISH) — A substitute teacher was arrested Monday after bringing a gun to a second-grade classroom, court documents and police revealed Tuesday.

Elkhart Police Department on Monday had only reported that a staff member for Elkhart Community Schools had been arrested for bringing a handgun to Mary Beck Elementary School.

On Tuesday, the police revealed the staff member was Marissa Meyer, 40, of Elkhart.

In court documents, an investigator from the Elkhart Police Department says Meyer was a substitute teacher in a Grade 2 classroom. An assistant principal had received a tip that Meyer had a gun in her classroom. Meyer confirmed to the assistant principal that the gun was in a backpack sitting on a chair by the teacher’s desk.

Meyer says she forgot the gun was in the backpack until she’d arrived at school.

The investigator says the silver and black .22 Phoenix Arms handgun was not loaded, but the magazine for the gun was also in the backpack with eight rounds. The empty gun holster also was in the backpack.

Police said in a Tuesday news release that Meyer’s bond was set at $5,000 cash. She remained in the Elkhart County jail on Tuesday afternoon, an online database showed.

The school district has not publicly commented on the case.

The northern Indiana city of 53,800 is about a half-hour drive east of South Bend.