California

Teacher Accidentally Fires Gun in Class, Students Injured

Police say the teacher, who also serves as a reserve police officer, was pointing the gun at the ceiling to make sure it was not loaded when the weapon discharged

Police say a teacher in California accidentally fired his gun in a classroom, injuring three students.

It happened Tuesday at Seaside High School as Dennis Alexander was teaching a gun safety lesson for his administration of justice class.

Police say Alexander, who also serves as a reserve police officer, was pointing the gun at the ceiling to make sure it was not loaded when the weapon discharged.

Three students were injured by debris, including a 17-year-old whose father told KSBW-TV his son sustained moderate injuries when bullet fragments lodged in his neck.

Alexander was placed on administrative leave from his teaching job and he was also placed on administrative leave at the Sand City Police Department.

Seaside, California is located about two miles northeast of Monterey. 

Teachers are not legally allowed to have firearms in California classrooms, even if they have a concealed carry permit.

"I think a lot of questions on parents' minds are, why a teacher would be pointing a loaded firearm at the ceiling in front of students," Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh told KSBW. "Clearly in this incident protocols were not followed."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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