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FedEx mistakenly delivered 6 rifles to Chester High School, police said

The guns were intended for a private collector with a similar address, police said.

Six boxes of guns were accidentally delivered to Chester High School on Friday, and secured inside the school until Monday, when police were able to retrieve them for their intended recipient.
Six boxes of guns were accidentally delivered to Chester High School on Friday, and secured inside the school until Monday, when police were able to retrieve them for their intended recipient.Read moreCLEM MURRAY / Staff Photographer / File photo / Staff Photographer
    by Vinny Vella
    Updated 
    Published 

A FedEx worker accidentally delivered six rifles intended for a private collector to Chester High School on Friday, according to Chester police.

The delivery — six boxes containing .30-caliber M1 rifles — was dropped off Friday afternoon, Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky said. Within minutes, the driver realized his mistake and contacted police, who were able to pick the guns up Monday and give them to their intended recipient.

“It really was just an honest mistake; the addresses are very similar,” Gretsky said. “Everything was legitimate, and no charges are going to be filed.”

Gretsky said the guns had been ordered by a collector who owns an auto-repair shop in Chester Township, which borders the city.

Community members learned of the error Monday evening, when Chester Upland School District Superintendent Craig Parkinson sent a letter to parents outlining the issue. Classes are scheduled to resume in the 2,621-student district Monday.

Parkinson said the boxes were delivered to the school’s loading dock and secured inside the building over the weekend, the standard practice for any delivery. The boxes did not appear to be suspicious, Parkinson said.

“We wanted to communicate with you about this in case you hear rumors in the community or on social media,” Parkinson said in the letter. “We are focused on a positive start to the school year and can’t wait to see you and our students back in our schools!”

A spokesperson for FedEx said in an email Wednesday that the company is cooperating with Chester police and is conducting an internal review of the situation.

Correction: This story has been updated. An earlier version misstated the number of guns delivered to Chester High School. Six rifles were sent to the school.