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This gun was found by children in the bathroom at Blue Ridge Park in Hoover. It belonged to an off-duty firefighter in Forestdale and Hueytown, and police said he feels awful about the incident.

(Hoover Police)

A loaded gun was found in the restroom of a Hoover park, which is next to an elementary school, and police today said that gun belongs to a firefighter who feels terrible about the entire ordeal.

Hoover police responded about 3:45 p.m. Monday to Blue Ridge Park on a report of a found handgun. The park is located on Sumpter Street, adjacent to Shades Mountain Elementary School, said Capt. Gregg Rector.

The man who called police told officers that his 5th grade son had found a gun in the men's restroom at the park. Several kids saw the gun and one of them eventually tossed it into the woods. One of the kids then informed his parents, who in turn, notified police, Rector said. Hoover officers took possession of the gun and confirmed that it was not stolen.

A short time later, the legal owner, who is a Bluff Park resident, called Hoover's 911 Communications Center after he realized he left the gun in the restroom. The investigation revealed that the gun owner inadvertently left the handgun in the restroom after he and his family visited the park. He is a firefighter in Forestdale and Hueytown.

Although this situation could have been tragic, Rector said, investigators determined there was no criminal intent by the owner. He said the incident serves as a reminder that gun owners must act responsibly while exercising their right to carry a weapon, and he encouraged parents to discuss firearms safety with their children, even if there are no weapons in their home.

Rector's advice? Encourage children to "Don't touch, go tell an adult", if they locate objects that might cause them harm. Hoover Police School Resource officers are also taking this opportunity to speak with students about the importance of notifying an adult in this type situation.

"This incident certainly had the potential for a tragic outcome. Most concerning is that we believe a 2nd and 5th grader both handled this gun before an adult was notified,'' Rector said. "The legal owner was an off-duty Forestdale and Hueytown firefighter who had recently completed a 48 hour shift. He feels terrible about this situation and fatigue may have played a part in the gun being left behind."

"We currently live in a society that is saturated with guns and owners just have to be more responsible for their actions,'' Rector said. "Nationally, we are seeing way too many horrific examples of what can happen when kids handle guns. We've seen it in Hoover before and we don't want to see it again."