In a cosmic rebuke to President Donald Trump’s insistence that armed educators would put a stop to school violence, a teacher in Dalton, GA, has been placed into police custody after an incident with a gun.
Just after noon on Wednesday, the Dalton Police Department announced that it had been called to the Dalton High School after reports of “shots fired.” The department was quick to note that no children were in danger at the time.
Eight minutes later, DPD gave the all clear.
They also added that while no one seemed to be injured by the teacher, at least one student was hurt during the school’s evacuation. (Warning: disturbing footage.)
Police have thus far declined to give any information about the suspect or what prompted the short-lived stand off.
The incident comes amidst a national debate over whether or not arming teachers in America’s schools would make them safer in the wake of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. Donald Trump and a number of Republican lawmakers have strongly advocated for putting more guns in classrooms, claiming it would act as a deterrent for would-be school shooters.
Sane people, on the other hand, have pointed out that arming teachers is not only morally repugnant, but also that the proliferation of weapons in schools will only invite a wave of deadly accidents, misunderstandings, and overreactions.
While it remains to be seen exactly what the teacher now in custody by the Dalton Police was doing with their gun, the incident will hopefully force some of those advocating for more guns in the classroom to reconsider.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details are made available.
Update, 2:35 PM—The Dalton Police Department have identified the suspect in custody as social studies teacher Jesse Randall Davidson.