SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — The parent of a couple kids who found a gun on their walk to school in Spokane Valley is proud of how they reacted.
"He said, 'No dad I'm sure it's a real firearm, there's two loaded magazines with actual bullets, it's not a an airsoft, it's not a pellet,'" said the boy's dad, Ian Vallee.
Vallee said it's a call he never thought he'd have with his 11-year-old son, but that's exactly what happened.
Vallee's two kids were walking to Pasadena Park Elementary School with four others on Wednesday when they found a 9mm handgun near the intersection of North Vista and East Wellesley.
Instead of picking it up, Vallee's son told his friends to leave it where it was, just like his parents previously taught him.
"They may have picked it up, checked it out, a number of things could of happened," he said.
A check of the serial number did not show the handgun as reported stolen, and no recent reports for weapons involved crimes were reported in the area. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office took the handgun and the magazines were collected and placed into an evidence locker as found property.
"We all hope it never happens, but it did and our kids knew what to do, they saw something, they said something," Vallee said.
Even more frightening, there wasn't a safety on the gun and could've easily gone off, if it was still loaded.
"This firearm, had it been loaded definitely could've gone off and with a group of six kids, I imagine they were around the weapon," Vallee explained.
He's thankful no one was hurt in this situation but wants every parent to have a conversation with their kids.
"Even if it might be too much information for the kid at the time you can always tailor the conversation but if you feel it in your heart there's a teaching moment, my biggest advice would be to do it," he said.