Man Facing Felony Charges After Firearm Falls Out of Pocket During School Board Meeting

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A Carmel, Indiana, man is facing felony charges after a handgun fell out of his pocket during a school board meeting this week.   

Robert Lesher, 69, was arrested Monday after an officer with the Carmel Police Department (CPD), who was also attending the meeting, witnessed the gun hit the floor.

Officers abruptly arrested Lesher and would later take him to Hamilton County Jail.

Following questioning, investigators determined that Lesher had no intentions of harming anyone “attending the school board meeting or otherwise.”

SEE ALSO: Strict Gun Control Fails Washington, D.C., Keeps Residents in Danger

Be that as it may, unfortunately for Mr. Lesher, bringing firearms onto school property in Indiana is against the law.  

Lesher now faces one count of possession of a firearm on school property, a level 6 felony, according to Fox59.  

It goes without saying but if he is convicted of a felony Lesher would become a prohibited person and lose his right to keep and bear arms.  

Carrying a firearm into a school zone as an unauthorized individual is a bad idea. The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act (GFSZA) generally prohibits guns in any K-12 school zone unless one has an exemption from the state.  

Exemptions from state to state vary, but are often afforded to student resource officers, staff with explicit permission or licenses, and, in some instances, permitted concealed carriers.    

As a responsible gun owner or concealed carrier, the onus is on you to figure out what the law in your state says.  

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  • Mr. Jon T. Todd August 3, 2021, 2:49 am

    Ridiculous! Sounds as politically correct as my State. I thought Indiana, which my ancestors came through 150 years ago, had more sense.

    Obviously that law was targeted towards students bringing guns to school to settle scores, NOT school board members.

    That unfortunate man will be in my prayers.

    • KimberproSS August 4, 2021, 4:57 pm

      Yep, you can have a firearm on school grounds as long as it is out of sight but cannot take it into the school. I live in Indiana. You cannot take a firearm into a federal building either. The law is bogus because, as we all know, if a kid wants to settle a score, the fact the school is a gun free zone is meaningless. It also is a marker for a deranged killer to target.

  • Jackpine August 2, 2021, 10:44 am

    Obvious goof-up. But it begs the question, if he can’t get following the basics right (no school-yard carry) what else is he going to screw up with a firearm?

    I do hope he is released without a felony conviction. Pretty sure he’s not a Trench Coat Mafia wanna-be.

  • Ronnie948 August 2, 2021, 8:06 am

    Just shows how extremely stupid some gun owning people can be.
    Has he not ever heard of a secure holster?????
    He is just getting what he deserves and at his age he should have really known better then to take a gun to school.
    One just plain stupid idiot.

    • Mike V August 2, 2021, 11:11 am

      You know the man by one seemingly innocent mistake.

    • E August 6, 2021, 4:01 am

      Dress pants have loose shallow pockets. Things can fall out even if he had an in the pocket holster. Small guns are designed to go in and out very easily. I had an lcp fall out of a new iwb holster while I was mowing the back yard. As for being in the school???? Laws are made to protect. It sounds like the only thing in danger from this gentleman is the finish on his firearm. Letter of the law and spirit of the law. Sorry you sit on your troll bridge just waiting to be the judge of every bonehead mistake.

      Idea rather have a couple more guns in the room that I’m barricaded in when some looney comes in to the meeting shooting. Takes out the one resource officer first. and now we are all standing with only our finger and thumb pointed at our murderer telling him that “this is a Gun free zone you need to leave your firearm locked in your vehicle. Didn’t you read the sign!?”
      Might I also add that this is an adult meeting, not a student event.

      This should never be a felony in the U.S.A.!!!

      He should have been removed for a couple of questions, let go, and sent to a safe firearms handling class. One that SHOULD be taught in every single school in America! Instead of taking the stigma away from guns they use this poor guy as a way to scare everyone. If every single person had exposure to proper gun handling and hands on experience with firearms a gun on the floor would have been nothing more than a party foul.

    • FB October 8, 2021, 8:24 am

      Just another asinine comment by a progressive troll looking to beat on pro-2A people. Just shows how extremely stupid most libs are. Age hasn’t done you any favors, so why are you commenting on this? Go harass someone in a bathroom – that’s more your speed.

    • FB October 8, 2021, 8:24 am

      Just another asinine comment by a progressive troll looking to beat on pro-2A people. Just shows how extremely stupid most libs are. Age hasn’t done you any favors, so why are you commenting on this? Go harass someone in a bathroom – that’s more your speed.

  • DAVID MILLER August 2, 2021, 7:44 am

    The good old days 1964 one kid in high school brought his fathers WW11 gun collection to show and tell probably around eight i helped him carry them into school Edison Tech Rochester N.Y. what a kerfuffle that would cause now

  • Rob August 2, 2021, 7:32 am

    Cop should have had enough sense to mind his own business.
    If you’re on a jury for something like this remember jury nullification. The law itself is illegal.

  • ROSCOE TARWATER BEAUMONT August 2, 2021, 4:13 am

    Nonetheless, he will be convicted. He will become a felon. It will change his whole existence. The Courts will remove his Second Amendment rights. You simply cannot recover from some mistakes in life.

  • Ej harbet August 1, 2021, 9:30 pm

    In Missouri a few years back a man with a grudge attacked a school board meeting using a handgun.he was able to kill the person he wanted to kill before a cop arrived and killed him. This man should be released and perhaps trained to carry more securely

  • Norm Fishler July 31, 2021, 7:38 pm

    Buy him a new holster and tell him to be more careful next time.

  • Andy Buckmichael July 31, 2021, 12:56 pm

    Dumb ass.

  • Kelly James July 30, 2021, 7:32 pm

    ‘Gun Free Zones’ should be called killing fields. There have been more mass murders in gun free zones than in the general public areas since the gun free zones were invented. That is because the criminal knows it is less likely that anyone there will shoot back.

  • pete July 30, 2021, 12:00 pm

    Some folks should not carry (in my experience that would be MOST folks :). Maybe, they shouldn’t leave their home with a gun. Maybe they shouldn’t have a gun! Dummies like this make us all look bad.

    • DELCO July 30, 2021, 3:41 pm

      Pete you don’t know this guy’s background. I agree it’s strange that his weapon just fell out of his pocket, but dumb accidents happen. Remember not long ago an off duty FBI agent was at a club dancing when he went to show off his dance skills when his Gun fell from his pocket and a round was discharged hitting someone in the crowd. Shit happens to good well trained people sometimes.

      • Rick August 2, 2021, 8:20 am

        Actually, the agent’s pistol was in the small of his back, presumably in a cheap holster. When he picked it up, that’s when he discharged it. It didn’t “go off” when it fell.

      • KimberproSS August 4, 2021, 5:02 pm

        And truly, we don’t know what happened. This is digital media, Main stream media, whatever, and the journalists like to sensationalize these type incidents. It may have fallen from his pocket or not. “Don’t believe anything you read and only half what you see.” Will Rogers

    • J.D. August 1, 2021, 8:58 am

      The only crime this man should be punished for, is that he didn’t keep his firearm in a proper holster. The fact that it fell out proves that pocket carrying is not smart for several reasons.

    • Ej harbet August 1, 2021, 9:36 pm

      I learned a new term that describes people like you.
      You’re a only one.
      As in”im the only one who should be allowed to carry” gladly a minority of American gun culture. And that’s a good thing

      • Rick August 2, 2021, 8:21 am

        That’s David Codrea’s phrase.

  • Robert July 30, 2021, 11:53 am

    I disagree with gun laws and ‘gun free zones’, I believe every gun restriction is an infringement on my rights guaranteed in the United States Constitution. I also understand the powers that be are serious about enforcing their unconstitutional laws, and value what freedom remains to me enough to avoid stepping over their arbitrary lines. Thing is, he would have gotten away with it if he hadn’t been so stupid as to carry a gun loose in his pocket, and allowed it to fall on the floor. Despite my opposition to the law under which he’s being charged, I have little sympathy for him, owing to his gross negligence.

  • Point n Shoot July 30, 2021, 11:42 am

    I don’t fault the guy for carrying to a school board meeting….. if properly HOLSTERED! Its called “concealed carry” after all. That means “hidden”….. I don’t give a rats ass about ” gun free zones” for “publicly owned property”. I mind my P’s and Q’s… I obey the rules of safe carry. I train regularly. I handle my firearms safely and respectfully.
    We don’t have a firearms problem! We have two problems here….idiots and Government (one and the same). Time for ” We the People” to take over the place again!

  • Billy M July 30, 2021, 10:52 am

    There is so much wrong with this from all perspectives. Mr. Lesher is responsible for knowing the laws in his state. The article does not say if he is a CCW permit holder of if Indiana is a Constitutional Carry state. But that is irrelevant in that carry on school property is generally prohibited in most states (I like Pennsylvania’s wording). But as a RESPONSIBLE gun owner, if you are going to carry a gun on your person IT NEEDS TO BE IN A SECURE HOLSTER!. He endangered everyone around him as a coin, knife, clippers, etc. could have gotten in the trigger guard and caused a negligent discharge. While owning a firearm, and carrying, is a right, as with most rights, there is a responsibility that goes with it. If you cannot carry or handle your weapons responsibly, for the safety of the rest of us, don’t exercise your right

  • Cosmic July 30, 2021, 10:44 am

    1st., So, why didn’t the cops taser and shoot this gun carrying nut job? BECAUSE HE DIDN’T RESIST ARREST!
    Let that be a lesson to all of those racially oppressed people who think the cops are out to kill them b/c of their color.
    and B. If your gonna carry where they say you cant, be smarter than that guy!

  • Bobby July 30, 2021, 10:10 am

    There are 2 issues here. The 69 year old gentleman is extremely irresponsible with his firearm. Carrying an unholstered loaded firearm in a pocket is a very poor choice on his part. It is just pure luck the firearm didn’t discharge when it fell to the floor possibly injuring or killing someone. Second issue is know the laws for carrying a firearm in your state. He obtained a permit for it so he had to undergo some type of training to do so. Follow the law and the basic rules of carrying a firearm safely and there are no problems, If this guy doesn’t know how to properly carry a firearm or where he can or cannot carry a firearm, I would suspect he wouldn’t know when he was allowed to lawfully discharge one. This gentleman should no longer be licensed to carry a firearm.

    • Rick August 2, 2021, 8:24 am

      Pure luck that it didn’t go off? Perhaps good pistol design. Most modern handguns are “drop safe”. Just sayin’.

      • Big Al 45 August 2, 2021, 11:59 am

        Agreed, Bobby isn’t too familiar with firearms apparently.

  • Capt. Dave July 30, 2021, 9:01 am

    The Second Amendment doesn’t have exemptions for where guns can be carried, or not carried. It also doesn’t state that only certain individuals ( cops ) can carry and that others can not. I am as responsible, generally more responsible, as any cop out there. In short, if you trust him/her to carry in places like schools, government buildings, etc., then you must also trust me and others like me, to carry anywhere they like. Why do some people think that putting on a uniform and a badge makes it ok, but wearing civilian clothes as an average person, makes one unfit to carry? I don’t carry all of the time but I really resent that because I wish to enter a specific building or property that I must, by obligation, leave my gun at home. Our government is reaching a ridiculous level of power and control and we need to assert our rights. We must be free. We must never yield to bad and illegal laws.

    • Rex July 30, 2021, 10:16 am

      Agree. Well stated. Thanks.

    • DELCO July 30, 2021, 3:52 pm

      Capt. Dave you have common sense, which unfortunately is not very common anymore. We have a government that has allowed money and viral controlled information to gain more power and control over everything we all do. Our education systems have been taken over by radical groups who hate our country, our borders have been all but removed, and the information that is sent out to influence our kids and communities is cherry picked by people that aren’t qualified to scoop dog crap. Where it’s all going is beyond disturbing Captain.

  • James Morrison July 30, 2021, 8:47 am

    A good holster is better. Better yet make the school board approve civilian carry at the schools…

  • skipNclair July 30, 2021, 8:36 am

    So the man is exercising his God given rights and constitutional rights, and most are in an uproar. What part of shall not be infringed do people not understand?

    • Blue Dog (he/him) July 30, 2021, 10:57 am

      I think it is more the “well-regulated” part that people don’t understand. 😉

      There have historically been restrictions on the second amendment since it was ratified.

      • Randy July 30, 2021, 11:17 am

        True and the restrictions were on
        Government.

      • Shanz July 30, 2021, 11:47 am

        The “ well regulated” part refers to the militia or us the people being organized or having Regular arms. It isn’t a reference to Gov regulating or restricting the right blue commy. I know reading comprehension is hard for you Marxists.

      • Rick August 2, 2021, 8:26 am

        Sadly, that you’ve included your pronouns undermines anything that follows.

  • Dr Motown July 30, 2021, 8:22 am

    WHEW! I’m sure the residents of Carmel IN will sleep easier tonight knowing this dangerous 69yo “criminal” is off the streets…..🤬(Sarcasm emoji). Hopefully, the prosecutor has 1/2 of a brain and will determine there was no criminal intent involved here

  • TB July 30, 2021, 7:38 am

    In Pennsylvania, the legal precedent is that the weapon on school property must be possessed with the intentions of committing a crime (i.e., assault, vandalism, etc.). Still into the 1990s we had kids showing up with guns in their vehicles to go hunting after school. It’s not a gun problem, it’s a lack of humanity, values, and moral foundation problem. If I give a person with zero empathy, no self-worth, and distorted values a rock, they’ll ultimately club someone with it.

  • J Franks July 30, 2021, 7:13 am

    What sort of school board meetings have you been attending chief? I highly doubt that there’s a nut job out there loading their magazines waiting for the third Thursday of the month to roll around so he can lob some 7.62 Full. Metal. Jacket. freedom pills into the school board.

    I get that we’re all supposed to be drinking the Good Guy With a Gun narrative FlavorAde but this shit is like the glue-eaters that buy a “ranch” near Missoula, Montana and strap on a .44 wheelgun to go check the mail because they’re “worried about cougars”.

    Carry your weapons in the appropriate way and in the appropriate place and remember that your behavior informs the way the ignorant view gun owners as a whole.

  • Richard Dilorenzo July 30, 2021, 6:56 am

    No question, “gun free zones” can amplify mayhem….

  • II July 30, 2021, 5:19 am

    “In this man’s defense: At least he was the very and only guy on that school ground who could have made a big difference, if suddenly a school shooter would just come entering through the doors, not caring about what is allowed to have on the school ground and what is not.”

    – No Bozo. The numerous cops there at the meeting were armed. We don’t need Elmer Fudd to protect us and he probably did not have the ability to react properly and quickly if he had to.

    • allonright July 30, 2021, 9:08 am

      Oh look, another gun control nut who thinks he/she/them knows what’s best for the rest of us.

      The only things the old timer is guilty of is not knowing the laws in his community and improperly securing his firearm on his person. NOTHING ELSE.

    • joe July 30, 2021, 9:30 am

      “Bozo “. “Elmer fudd”. I think you have anger issues so please don’t carry a gun. Here’s to hoping you’ll need someone with a gun to save your hide but theres nobody around with one.

  • Michael Scott McIntosh July 30, 2021, 3:22 am

    All those laws are Unconstitutional and violate the 2nd Amendment. I have obeyed them in the past. Is it my “responsibility” to obey future laws that may require fees for firearms and magazines that I already own? To obey laws that require me.to register my firearms and magazines with some Federal or State agency? NO AMD HELL NO! I will NOT COMPLY. To make me they will need to take all my ammunition at high velocity and my life. We need to STOP them NOW! It is going to be too late SOON!

    • J Franks July 30, 2021, 7:02 am

      Calm down Scooter. Try not announcing your intention to not comply with the law. Resist through deed, not word.

  • SuperG July 28, 2021, 9:16 am

    Ignorance of the law is no excuse, but I hope the DA isn’t a Soros plant, and let’s him off.

  • Snake July 28, 2021, 7:34 am

    In this man’s defense: At least he was the very and only guy on that school ground who could have made a big difference, if suddenly a school shooter would just come entering through the doors, not caring about what is allowed to have on the school ground and what is not.

    And once again, I cannot help myself, but to make references to Columbine: One teacher died in this, William “Dave” Sanders, who ran through the hallways, checking if all the doors are closed. Thanks to his great courage the football field of the school has been given his name. While being in the process of checking all the doors he met Eric, who was armed, but Mr. Sanders was not and we all know how this turned out. Then there was the teacher Patti Nielsen, hiding under the teacher’s desk in the school library, where the main carnage of the massacre took place. There was nothing she could do, as she wasn’t armed, and therefore she could only stay on the phone with the police, which waited outside in safety, until it was all over, while all those kids have been slaughtered just a few meters away from her position. And guess what, weapons on the school ground were forbidden already back then at Columbine. Yet, did the two shooters care? No, not at all.

    Remember Columbine (or any other school shooting), Indiana, and learn your lessons from it, before it may be too late, in a time where another Columbine can happen at any moment, as history has proven to us again and again! And free Mr. Lesher from all charges, will you? 13 crosses are waiting for you to be visited in Littleton, Colorado that can show you what kind of tragedies happen, if not even the teachers are allowed to carry guns on school grounds!

    • Dana Kleine July 30, 2021, 10:08 am

      Amen! Well said. Thank you for being the level headed response to this nonsense.

      • Snake July 31, 2021, 6:47 am

        You’re very welcome. I am just so angry and sad at the same time about the fact that after all the school shootings, and other shootings in general, our society has still not learned that tougher gun laws do not work. The gun laws went much tougher since Columbine, yet the death toll keeps rising and today Columbine is not even in the top 10 of the worst mass shootings in US history anymore, when it comes to the amount of people that have died during these shootings. I know one of the fathers of one of the girls that have been killed in Columbine personally and even he told me once that in today’s world he would not even like to have children, if he would be as young now as he was back then, as the overall situation just went worse over the years. That is really touching and to see that the government wants to restrict our right to defend ourselves and our loved ones even more is just absolutely crazy and sometimes, at least to me, even almost unexplainable.

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