BELLE GLADE — A Palm Springs man was charged with possession of a firearm on school property on Feb. 22 at Glade View Elementary (GVES).

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office dispatched Deputy Valentino Harvey to Glade View Elementary School (GVES) at 5:17 p.m. on Feb. 22 in response to the school being placed on a code red lock down by Principal Shundra Dowers due to parents fighting in the front parking lot.

As Deputy Harvey was approaching the main office there were several staff members and adults in front of and inside of the main office when he heard the mention of a gun being present. He immediately asked where the gun was, 27-year-old Duane Blake stated he had a gun and it was in his vehicle.

Deputy Harvey accompanied Blake to his vehicle in the school parking lot and asked Blake if his gun was inside of a black pouch on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Deputy Harvey picked up the opened black pouch and observe a black handgun inside. The handgun was placed inside a weapon vault of his marked police patrol vehicle and secured it.

During an interview, Charlescia Longmire told Deputy Harvey a verbal altercation ensued between adults after she responded to GVES in reference to an incident involving her daughter who is a student at the school. During that altercation Blake placed his hand on a black pouch that he was wearing across the front of his body and indicated that he had a gun. Blake had his hand on the pouch and began to unzip the pouch while threatening to shoot Longmire.

An interview with GVES employee Mary Harvey Jones stated that she was speaking to a group of parents in the front parking lot of the school about the altercation involving students. During that conversation, Longmire and Blake became involved in a verbal altercation. Blake was wearing a black pouch in front of his body when Jones observed Blake place his hand on the pouch and appeared to unzip it.

While viewing footage of the school video surveillance system Deputy Harvey observed Blake speaking with several GVES aftercare staff members and Longmire at approximately 5:05 p.m. Longmire is escorted into the cafeteria by staff members. During the surveillance video Blake is seen walking to his vehicle, retrieving the black pouch from the front passenger seat and placing it around his upper torso. As Longmire is escorted from the cafeteria to her vehicle by staff members, Blake is seen following Longmire, her child and another adult male into the parking lot while wearing the black pouch.

Blake was placed under arrest and charged with possession of firearm on school property and transported to the Palm Beach County Sheriff West Dentention Facility.