MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Monday, January 5, 2009 3:35 pm

Luckily no one was hurt when a 9-year-old boy was found with an assault rifle Saturday in Rockvale, according to reports filed with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.

Parents Terra and Chris Finney of Patterson Road were charged with child neglect after the boy took the Mac 90 assault rifle with two loaded 30-round magazines to a neighbor’s house to show friends.

“Mrs. Finney advised me that they were not gun owners and she did not think it was unsafe to leave the gun on the floor behind the bedroom door due to the fact that the magazines were on top of the refrigerator,” Deputy Matt Clagg reported.

The Finneys said they were keeping the rifle overnight for a friend.

The Finneys left the boy and a friend unsupervised when they took their younger son to the babysitter. Both parents said they were gone less than 45 minutes.

While the parents were gone, the 9-year-old then took the rifle from behind the bedroom door and the magazines from the refrigerator.

When the boy approached the neighbor’s home with the rifle, the neighbor told the boy to go home and reported the incident to the police.

Both Terra and Chris Finney have hearings scheduled March 10 in Rutherford County court.