Police: Handgun discovered outside of school fell out of man's pocket on accident

Arlington Heights police on Thursday clarified details of their investigation into last weekend's loaded handgun discovery outside an elementary school.

Following a review of surveillance video, police said Monday that a person in a white sweatshirt took something out of his pocket and set it by the flagpole of Ivy Hill Elementary, 2211 N. Burke Drive.

On Tuesday, police reported that a 57-year-old man came forward and claimed ownership of the mini .22-caliber revolver, saying it fell out of his pocket Sunday morning while he was walking his dog.

Police Cmdr. Nathan Hayes said Thursday those were two separate individuals. Investigators were initially focused on the person in the sweatshirt until the other man contacted police when he saw news coverage about the missing gun.

“Because of the quality of the video, it was impossible to see what he removed from his pocket,” Hayes said of the first individual. “We never found contraband for us to be able to identify what it was. It was our investigative lead at the time, until the resident came forward.”

Police have labeled the incident accidental and haven't charged the 57-year-old man, as he had a valid firearm owners identification card and concealed carry permit.