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DRAPER — The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office will review the case of a person who left a gun in a bathroom at the Living Planet Aquarium.
A customer at the aquarium left a revolver in the bathroom on Tuesday, according to Draper Police Sgt. Scott Adams.
Managers at the aquarium were told about the gun around noon and contacted police, according to Adams. Officers then arrived at the aquarium and took the gun. Adams was not sure in which bathroom the gun was discovered.
Later Tuesday afternoon, a woman called police and claimed she was the owner of the gun, Adams said. Police did not return the gun to her and officials still had it in their custody as of Wednesday evening, Adams said.
She was very apologetic and embarrassed about leaving the gun in the bathroom, Adams said. The woman said she had put the gun on the baby changing table and went to use the restroom, according to Adams. When she got out, her child started running around and she forgot to retrieve the gun, he said.
The case has been referred to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill's office for review, he added.
Gill said the more troubling aspect of the case was the fact that it took place in a public area where there are children.
"There is a certain forgetfulness — a certain recklessness in not knowing where your weapon is," Gill said Wednesday.
Living Planet Aquarium spokeswoman Caroline Ralston said in an email that the aquarium has a "no weapons" policy, and the safety of aquarium guests and staff is always a top priority.
Police were concerned about any potential danger the weapon could have created, especially since it was found in an aquarium where kids are present, Adams said. For that reason, they decided it was best for the DA's office to review the facts of the case, he said.
“We want to make sure that (firearms) don’t fall into the wrong hands, and that falls on people to make sure they’re being mindful of where their weapons are,” Adams said.
Contributing: Ladd Egan
