GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The father of a student who brought a gun to a Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) elementary school last year has taken a plea deal.
Jaquon Tucker pleaded no contest to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, according to Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker.
He had previously faced child abuse, a weapons charge and being a habitual offender.
The incident happened back on May 10, 2023, when staff members at Stocking Elementary School confiscated a loaded handgun from a 9-year-old student after a classmate alerted them to the situation.
No one was injured in the incident.
Investigators then asked 26-year-old Jaquon Tucker, the student's father, to bring the student in for questioning two days after the incident. Tucker did not show up or answer the investigator's attempts to contact him.
On June 9, 2023, an hours-long standoff outside a Grand Rapids home led to Tucker being taken into custody without incident.
Tucker was previously convicted of multiple firearms felonies.
The gun that was taken to the school was determined to belong to Tucker. It was found to be stolen out of Norton Shores, according to police.
Court documents said the student was living with Tucker and Tucker's mother when the incident happened.
Probable cause documents in Tucker's case allege that the student who brought the gun to school had told other classmates that he intended to shoot a fellow student, which he had allegedly fought throughout the year and had issues with in the past.
In an interview with a CPS case worker, the student said he did not intend to bring the gun to school. He also denied making any threats against other students.
Interviews with the student's friends conflict with each other. One friend said the student had threatened the classmate, while another friend denied the threats.
Officials have held multiple forums with parents and community members to increase safety in the district. GRPS school officials also sent a letter home with students, urging parents to store their firearms safely.
