A Pennsylvania high school received a surprise delivery when staff discovered a box of guns previously thought to be textbooks. A FedEx driver delivered the box to Chester High School after misreading the delivery address. Parents are expressing concern over how such a mistake could happen.
The guns were .30 caliber M1 rifles, a military-style weapon. They were ordered legitimately by a gun collector but never arrived at the collector's door. Instead, they sat inside the Chester High School loading dock over the weekend. CBS News reported that staff thought the boxes contained textbooks, since the first day of school was this week. Staff were surprised when they opened the box and discovered six weapons instead.
Parents and Pennsylvania residents took to Twitter to express concern over the mix-up. One Twitter user expressed "there's enough gun violence in Philadelphia" and "we don't need these kinds of mishaps."
One parent told CBS News that her daughter was scheduled to attend Chester High School starting this week, but now she was reconsidering sending her there.
Others expressed concern over why a gun collector would collect so many guns of the same kind at one time. Reports vary, with some saying only six guns were delivered to the high school. Other reports said as many as 30 guns were unboxed at the high school over the weekend, but FedEx said that was inaccurate.
"What person needs 30 rifles at once, little too much maybe," one Twitter user tweeted.
The FedEx driver returned to collect the package Monday but was unable to do so, as protocol calls for guns discovered on school grounds to be confiscated. CBS News reported that police opened the box and took the guns into evidence.
Police then determined the original purchaser had a legal permit and didn't have any criminal intent. Police told CBS News that FedEx admitted responsibility for the mistake.
"We deeply regret this happened and take this very seriously," a FedEx spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Newsweek. "We have fully cooperated with investigating authorities to resolve this matter. We appreciate Chester High School and local authorities working with us to quickly retrieve the shipment. We immediately conducted a review of the situation and are addressing the matter internally."
Chester Upland School District Superintendent Dr. Craig Parkinson told CBS News that the driver was "visibly concerned" and "very professional, very apologetic" when he returned for the guns.
"He definitely made it clear that it was a mistake," Parkinson said.
Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky told The Philadelphia Inquirer that no charges will be filed against the driver or the collector.
"It really was just an honest mistake," he said. "The addresses are very similar."
The delivery was meant for a collector at an auto repair shop address on West 9th Street in Chester Township. Chester High School is on West 9th Street in the city of Chester.
Insider reported the weapons were manufactured by Springfield Armory, which describes the rifles as "a semi-automatic rifle inspired by the classic US Military M14." The rifle retail price ranges from $1,700 to $2,400 each.
Newsweek reached out to Chester police, but the phone repeatedly rang as busy. Newsweek also reached out to Chester Upland School District for comment.
Update 8/24/2022, 3:40 p.m. ET: This article was updated with a statement from FedEx.
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