Father charged with having illegal firearms following school shooting

Nevada Daily Mail

The father of the student involved in a shooting at Joplin Middle School has been charged in federal court with illegally possessing several firearms, said U.S. Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman of the Western District of Missouri Thursday afternoon.

Gregory Lynn White of Joplin, was charged with possession of firearms under seal in U.S. District Court in Springfield, and the complaint was unsealed and made public following White's arrest and initial court appearance on Thursday.

White is the father of the Joplin Middle School student who was taken into custody after allegedly firing one shot into the school's ceiling and allegedly attempting to shoot school officials with a Norinco semi-automatic assault rifle on Oct. 9.

The complaint alleges that White was in possession of three Norinco rifles, a .22-caliber Daisy rifle, a Mossberg shotgun, a Comanhia shotgun, and Armscor rifle and an Intratect pistol, found in a search of White's home, according to court documents.

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office said that, under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. White has a 1988 criminal felony conviction for possession of methamphetamine in California and a 1980 criminal felony conviction for burglary in Florida.

Court documents also said that the student involved in the shooting incident told officers that the rifle belonged to White, and that, during a search, the seven firearms and ammunition were inside a locked gun cabinet in the master bedroom. The key to the cabinet was on a key ring hanging in the same room.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy U.S. Attorney Michael A. Jones. It was investigated by the Joplin Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.