On May 9, Phillip McRay Bright, 68, of Crestview, Florida, was charged via criminal information in connection with the April 10 firearms discharge case in which a 9-year-old student discharged a gun inside a classroom at Billingsley Elementary School; no one was injured. The investigation revealed Bright, a relative of the student, was in town visiting the student’s family. Through investigation, the school resource officer learned that sometime before April 5, Bright was preparing to take the student to school. Bright believes the student, who got in the vehicle before he did, opened the console to look for candy, at which time the student observed the gun and removed it, placing it in a backpack. Bright did not realize the gun was missing until April 5, when he reported it lost/stolen to the Prince George’s County Police after leaving a carwash in Hillcrest Heights. It was not until after the event at Billingsley Elementary that it was learned the student had had the gun the entire time. After reviewing the case with the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO), the SAO charged Bright with two counts of wearing, carrying, or transporting a loaded handgun in a vehicle; storing a loaded firearm in a location accessible to a minor; and contributing to the conditions of a child’s delinquency.
Note: Bright was issued a summons to appear in court; therefore, a mugshot is not available.
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The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple Store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.