Gun found, goes off, at Citrus elementary school

A loaded gun went off Wednesday morning at a Citrus County elementary school.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

The Citrus County Sheriff's Office said it happened around 8:20 at Rock Crusher Elementary School in Homosassa. Investigators interviewed staff members and looked at surveillance footage to determine a timeline of what happened.

Investigators said a parent was dropping off her children to the before school care program and found a small pistol laying on the ground near a sidewalk behind the school, leading to the cafeteria. She initially thought the gun was a toy or pellet gun.

She gave it to a nearby custodian, who also thought it was a toy or BB gun. The custodian tried to unload the gun and accidentally discharged it. 

When he realized the gun was real, the School Resource Officer (SRO) was called and the area was secured.

That's when deputies went to the school to investigate. They identified the gun's owner, Roy Caffera of Crystal River, through its serial number. Deputies said Caffera has a concealed carry permit and no criminal history. 

Caffera told deputies he thought the gun fell from a torn cargo pocket in his pants while he walked his child to the before school care program. Detectives said surveillance video showed the gun lay unattended on the ground for about five minutes before being picked up by another parent. 

Detectives said the state attorney's office would review the case. No charges ha