It was an ordinary morning in February for Dorothy Collins.

She was walking her dogs in her Panama City Beach neighborhood when she saw this rifle laying on the side of Laird Street.

"I just happened to look down and it was right off of the street," Collins said. "I picked it up and I thought it was really heavy."

Collins went home with the weapon and showed it to her husband, Ken, who removed the magazine from the rifle and ensured it wasn't loaded. Then, she called the Bay County Sheriff's office.

"They were shocked when they came in the door they just thought it was a little handgun," she said.

The incident report from the Sheriff's Office says the rifle belonged the Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Lucas Tavares.

He was on location the night before working a hit-and-run.. According to the report, the rifle was turned back over to the Tavares, who signed a property receipt.

Florida Highway Patrol told WECP-WJHG in a statement, while conducting an investigation, Tavares "Was removing equipment from his trunk, to include an issued patrol rifle that was placed in an unzipped rifle case, in order to get to the equipment on the bottom of the trunk. While the equipment was placed on the ground the patrol rifle slid from its case into the grass/water below his trunk. The Trooper did not realize the rifle slid out of the case due to the fact it was dark and in a poorly lighted area."

Collins said along the road's side, in a patch of grass is where the rifle was found. She also noted its proximity to a school bus stop.

"Probably ten minutes later, ten to fifteen minutes later, they would be getting on the bus right there," Collins said. "If the kids would have picked it up, that could have been 30 casualties."

In regards to what reprimand Tavares received, FHP responded, saying, "FHP Supervisory Staff discussed the incident.. and stressed the dangers associated with misplacing the rifle. He was issued a documented letter of counseling."