HOLYOKE, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man whose 5-year-old grandson got a hold of his loaded handgun and brought it to preschool pleaded not guilty to related charges on Tuesday.

Juan Barreto-Hernandez, 53, of Holyoke, was released without bail after pleading not guilty in district court to improper storage of a firearm and reckless endangerment of a child, Masslive.com reported.

The boy brought Barreto-Hernandez’s .22-caliber, semi-automatic Ruger in his backpack to the E.N. White School on Dec. 6, police said.

School staff called police when they found the gun, which held a fully loaded 10-round magazine, police said.

The child never removed the gun from the backpack and no one was hurt.


The child had apparently visited his grandfather before going to school, Lt. James Albert said.

Barreto-Hernandez was licensed to carry the gun, Albert said.

It was not immediately clear who represented Barreto-Hernandez in court.