PANAMA CITY — A Panama City woman has been taken to jail after allegedly trying to gun down a snake on a local school campus.
April Dawn DeMarco, 30, was arrested for discharging a .380-caliber handgun on the practice football field of Bay High School, 300 E. 15th St., during practice last week for the local Pop Warner football team. Demarco apparently borrowed the pistol from Miren Gregory, 31, to protect nearby children after a group of parents found a water moccasin on the field, police reported.
Coaches and parents told the children to get out of the area after finding the moccasin. Gregory told DeMarco she had a concealed carry permit and a handgun after some of the coaches tried to kill the snake by hitting it with sticks.
One parent forewarned the women that having a firearm on school grounds was against the law when DeMarco said, “I will take the blame,” the parent told police.
The children were about 20 to 50 yards away when Demarco took one shot at the snake, missing wide.
Attempts to contact DeMarco Wednesday were unsuccessful.
DeMarco told police she had the gun on school grounds and shot it there to protect the children, herself being a parent, police reported. However, discharging a firearm on school grounds is a felony. DeMarco was arrested Monday for discharging a firearm on school property and possession of a firearm on school property.
State law also prohibits people with concealed weapons permits from bringing weapons on a school campus during any event not related to those weapons. Gregory was arrested Tuesday on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm on school property.
Police reports contain no word on the fate of the snake.