School resource officer's gun accidentally fired during Florida middle school's lunch period

Hope Schreiber
·Writer

An experienced deputy accidentally discharged his firearm in a middle school cafeteria, which — thankfully — resulted in zero injuries. However some parents and the Florida Education Association are calling out the Florida House of Representatives for voting to move bill SB-7030 forward, which would authorize districts to arm teachers.

According to Pasco County deputies, no one was injured when a school resource officer at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School in Wesley Chapel, Fla. "incidentally discharged" his gun in the school's cafeteria during the students' lunch period on Tuesday.

“We want to again make it clear that the weapon discharged directly into the wall and no students were in danger,” the Sheriff’s Office shared in a Facebook post to the public. According to the post, an investigation has been initiated.

WFLA reports that the unnamed officer was "leaning against the wall when his holstered, duty-issued firearm incidentally discharged into the wall behind him." Lt. Troy Ferguson with the Pasco Sheriff's Office said that the gun involved was a Sig Sauer 9mm.

ABC Action News reports that the school resource officer involved in the incident has been placed on paid administrative leave, and his name will not be released until the investigation is complete.

"There are a number of features on the threat level 3 holsters that we carry with our firearms, so there are a number of dynamic factors that are involved with fine motor skills functions that would cause that to happen. So we have to really kind of dissect that," Ferguson said.

During a news conference, Lt. Ferguson went on to explain that "the weapons are not carried with a safety mechanism, per se. They're carried ready to use."

As school shootings become more commonplace, even students who have not directly been involved in a shooting are still affected. "The threat of mass shootings throughout schools is also damaging to mental health; safety and security are always paramount to a child’s healthy psychological development, and this constant anxiety and sense of danger will disrupt that sense of security, and put all children at risk of developing anxiety and mood disorders," Jean Kim, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at George Washington University, Medical Officer at the FDA, according to PsyCom.

One student at Thomas E. Weightman, Chanel Patel, told WFLA that she already experiences severe anxiety, and the incident made it that much worse. "When I first heard the gunshot...I was like what if there is a school shooting and this is where I die?" she said.

Her father, Neil Patel, is one of many parents wondering if a trained, experienced deputy could accidentally discharge in a school, why should teachers and other staff be permitted to carry firearms?

“Not blaming officer, but, he is a trained gun user, and this happened,” Howard Kilgore wrote on the sheriff's office Facebook post. “Teachers do not need to carry guns in schools!”

“So he’s a trained certified degree holding law-enforcement officer and this happened.....But people want to give teachers guns?” Carolyn Adams-Bystrycki added.

The Florida Education Association shared the sheriff's department’s statement on Facebook and added, "And just an hour after this happened, the Florida House of Representatives took up #SB7030, a bill that would authorize districts to arm teachers and allow more firearms on campus."

The final vote on SB-7030 was 65-47 and the bill will now head to the governor's desk.

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