A box of loaded guns has been found on a school campus near the scene of the deadly 2018 Parkland high school shooting.
Two firearms were left unattended at the Somerset Parkland Academy charter school in Florida before being discovered on Thursday by a school police officer, according to local TV station WSVN.
The campus is three miles away from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed and 17 injured in a mass shooting four years ago.
Further investigation, however, found that the weapons belonged to the school's principal Geyler Castro. Parents were not made aware of the incident until more than 24 hours had passed, after reporters began asking about it.
An email to parents on Friday reportedly explained that someone had mistakenly unloaded the weapons from Ms Castro's car and taken them in a box into the school.
"No one intended to bring a weapon into the building. The box was among many items brought into the locked room from the principal’s vehicle," said the school's governors according to WPLG.
"Nothing is more important than the safety of our students, staff, and school community," the governors said, adding that the school "strives to maintain open lines of communication."
Officials said the box was kept in a locked room that was inaccessible to staff and students. Local police said no students had come into contact with the weapons.
Florida law bans the possession of firearms on school premises except for police officers, security guards, and school-approved teacher "guardians", or in parked cars if the school specifically allows that.
The incident comes at a time of increased fears about school shootings, following the massacre of 19 students and two faculty members at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and a spate of other attacks across the US.
State officials are considering whether to file any charges against Ms Castro, WSVN reported. Asked for comment by WPLG, Ms Castro referred reporters to the school governors' statement.
Somerset Parkland Academy and Ms Castro have been asked for comment.
