A California teacher trained in firearm use accidentally fired his gun during a class demonstration on gun safety on Tuesday, resulting in a student getting injured.
The teacher, identified by police as Dennis Alexander, offers a public safety class at Seaside High School in Seaside, California.
According to the Monterey County Weekly, Alexander’s gun accidentally fired as he was pointing it toward the ceiling during a firearm safety presentation. Bullet fragments ricocheted and struck a student in the neck, causing non-life threatening injuries.
The student was rushed to the hospital after school when his parents noticed blood on his shirt.
Alexander has been placed on administrative leave, according to a statement from the school. The statement said teacher was also a “reserve police officer.”
MPUSD is reporting no one was injured when a teacher accidentally discharged a firearm in class today. A letter has been sent to Seaside High School parents and I've included a screenshot of that letter below. The teacher, who is not being identified, was placed on leave. pic.twitter.com/hmd6Q504gq
— Caitlin Conrad (@CaitlinKSBW) March 13, 2018
The school district superintendent told the Weekly that Alexander was not authorized to carry a firearm on campus.
This latest incident comes as President Donald Trump pushes for arming teachers as a solution for preventing school shootings.