HARVARD – A Wisconsin woman has been charged after police said she left her purse – with a handgun inside – at Harvard High School.

Kathleen Blank, 51, of N728 Peters Road, Sharon, Wis., was charged with unlawful use of a weapon.

About 6:30 Wednesday morning, a driver's ed teacher, who was with students for an early morning class, found the purse on a desk in a multi-purpose room, said Deputy Chief Mark Krause of the Harvard Police Department.

The teacher opened the purse to look for identification and found the gun, which Krause said is a Keltec .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun.

A school resource officer, who had been on his way to the school at the time, was contacted.

There was some identifying information inside the purse, Krause said, but Blank had also showed up at the school to claim her purse, which she had left behind on Tuesday night following a school-related activity.

Blank was arrested at about 7:30 a.m.

Krause declined to comment on whether the gun was loaded but said a magazine was also inside the purse.

Blank may have forgotten the gun was in her purse, he said.

"At this point in the investigation, I don't believe she brought it with to do any ill will or to harm anyone," Krause said.

Blank is not employed by District 50, but Krause declined to say if she has a child who attends the school.

Regular classes had not yet started for the day and there was no lock down.

Illinois is the only state that has no provisions allowing citizens to carry concealed handguns. It was unclear whether Blank had a concealed carry permit for Wisconsin.

Unlawful use of a weapon is a Class 3 felony typically punishable by up to five years in prison.