A teacher in California accidentally fired his gun in a classroom, injuring three students, the Associated Press reports.
Police said the incident occurred at Seaside High School around 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday as instructor Dennis Alexander was teaching a gun safety lesson for his administration of justice class.
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Alexander, who also serves as a reserve police officer at the Sand City Police Department, was pointing the gun at the ceiling when it accidentally went off, according to police.
Three students were injured by debris, including a 17-year-old whose father, Fermin Gonzales, told local KSBW-TV his son sustained moderate injuries when bullet fragments lodged in his neck. A news release from the Seaside Police Department said no one suffered “serious injuries.”
The teacher had just told the class that he wanted to make sure his gun wasn’t loaded when it fired into the ceiling, according to Gonzales. “It’s the craziest thing. It could have been very bad,” he said.
Alexander told the class he was going to use the gun for a demonstration about how to disarm someone, according to Gonzales.
The father said that when the gun went off, everyone in the classroom was stunned and the teacher apologized, but no one at the school checked to make sure that all of the students were uninjured. He claimed that the school day resumed as normal, and Seaside Police Department officers launched an investigation.
The 17-year-old boy’s parents were stunned when he returned home with blood on his shirt and bullet fragments in his neck. The student’s parents rushed him to a hospital for X-rays.
“He’s shaken up, but he’s going to be OK,” Gonzales told KSBW. “I’m just pretty upset that no one told us anything and we had to call the police ourselves to report it.”
Following the incident, the Superintendent’s Office sent a letter to parents reading, “We want to make you aware of an accident that occurred in the Administration of Justice class today at Seaside High School. As some of you may know, the teacher is a reserve police officer. Today, during class, the teacher accidentally discharged his firearm during a lesson while it was pointed at the ceiling. Debris from the ceiling then fell.”
“Upon learning of the incident, our Human Resources department, school site administration and the Seaside Police Department immediately began investigating the incident, including interviewing students in the class. We will also have counseling services available for students. Due to the nature of this personnel incident, we are unable to share any other details. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave for the duration of the on-going investigation. The safety of your student is always our top priority, and we will continue to remain vigilant in our efforts to keep them safe while they are under our care,” the letter continued.
Alexander was placed on administrative leave both from his teaching job and his role in the police force while local police invesigate the incident.
Sand City Police Chief Brian Ferrante told KSBW, “I have concerns about why he was displaying a loaded firearm in a classroom. We will be looking into that.” Teachers are not legally allowed to have firearms in California classrooms, even if they have a concealed carry permit.
Ferrante said Alexander has been a reserve Sand City police officer for 11 years and described his tenure as “positive and professional.” The 2013 Reserve Officer of the Year is also a Seaside City Council member and Red Cross volunteer, according to the news outlet.
