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Grain Valley man charged for bringing gun to Blue Springs school pool

Blue Springs Aquatic Center gun.png
Posted at 10:21 PM, Aug 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-28 23:21:44-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 19-year-old from Grain Valley was charged Wednesday with two crimes in connection with carrying a loaded firearm onto school property in Blue Springs.

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office charged Charles “Wyatt” Kozloski with unlawful use of a weapon and stealing in connection with the incident, which occurred on Aug. 21 at the Blue Springs School District Aquatic Center.

A Blue Springs police officer was working at the pool — also known as the Blue Springs Centennial Pool Plex, or “The Blue,” and operated by the Blue Springs School District — as a school resource officer.

He received a tip that a man wearing a blue shirt in the parking lot had a gun in his waistband.

After a responding officer made contact with the suspect, later identified as Kozloski, and observed him place a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm with seven rounds in the magazine inside the glove box of a car in which he was a passenger.

He told police he had no intention of harming anyone and didn’t realize he wasn’t allowed on the property, though he did lie to police about his name to conceal a warrant for a parole violation.

It also was determined Kozloski had been banned from school premises due to a burglary at the high school when he was a juvenile.

The weapons charge, a Class E felony, stems from possessing a firearm on school premises.

The punishment is two to four years in years in state prison or one year in county jail along with a fine of up to $10,000.

The stealing charge, a Class D felony, stems from Kozloski’s admission that he took the gun from someone he lived with in Grain Valley without the owner's permission.

Barring a plea deal, the punishment is two to seven years in state prison or one year in county jail along with a fine of up to $10,000.