Stoneman Douglas teacher arrested after leaving loaded gun in public restroom, cops say

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Marjory Stoneman Douglas teacher was arrested after he left a loaded gun in a public restroom and a drunk homeless man found it and fired it, according to an arrest report from the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

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Chemistry teacher Sean Simpson, 43, who was at the Parkland school during the Feb. 14 mass shooting that killed 17, told deputies on Sunday that he forgot the Glock 9 mm in a stall at a restroom at the Deerfield Beach Pier. No one was hurt during the incident.

Simpson, of Margate, Fla., was charged with failing to safely store a firearm, a second-degree misdemeanor, and the homeless man, Joseph Spataro, 69, was charged with trespassing and firing a weapon while intoxicated, records show.

About five minutes after leaving the bathroom, Simpson realized he’d forgotten the gun and as he was walking back to retrieve it he heard a single gun shot, the report said. Simpson snatched the gun from Spataro’s hand.

When deputies got there they found the gun with seven bullets with a magazine loaded into it in Simpson’s pocket, the report said. They found a casing in a corner of the bathroom and later found a projectile also in the bathroom.

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Simpson had a valid concealed weapons permit, the report said. He posted $250 bond, records show.

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