TAMPA, Fla (WSVN) — Police reported that a 9-year-old boy found a loaded gun inside a movie theater bathroom in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood.
The incident occurred on Father’s Day, when Zane Noland, his 15-year-old brother and their dad were attending a 3 p.m. showing of the new Superman movie, “Man of Steel.”
Shortly after the film started, the boy said he went to the bathroom before revealing to his father his discovery.
“Dad,” Zane said. “There’s a gun in the bathroom.”
Wesley Noland, the boys father, who has a concealed weapons permit and is a former marine, says he immediately secured the handgun and called the authorities.
Noland was sure to keep the gun out of harms way, avoiding his biggest fear.
“The gun could have been picked up by a child,” Noland said. “It could have been used in a crime or accidentally discharged and it could have killed somebody in the theater, worst of all a kid.”
Police are now in possession of the weapon and are currently searching for its owner. If the owner of the weapon does have a permit, and leaving it was a simple mistake, they may still face charges.
“We did our Superman deed for the day,” Noland said he told son Zane. “We protected people from getting hurt.”
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