Not long after President Donald Trump joined other conservatives in suggesting that America arm its teachers, a violent incident has occurred in Dalton, Georgia in which the suspect is an armed teacher.
The Dalton Police Department released a series of tweets as more details about the incident were presented to them.
DPD on scene at report of shot or shots fired at Dalton High. NO CHILDREN ARE INJURED OR IN DANGER
— Dalton Police (@DaltonPD) February 28, 2018
There is a barricaded subject in a classroom. It is believed to be a teacher.
— Dalton Police (@DaltonPD) February 28, 2018
PARENTS DO NOT COME TO DALTON HIGH
— Dalton Police (@DaltonPD) February 28, 2018
Students will be taken to the NE GA Trade Center. Parents should go there
— Dalton Police (@DaltonPD) February 28, 2018
Repeat: no children hurt, no children in danger.
— Dalton Police (@DaltonPD) February 28, 2018
UPDATE: The teacher is in custody.
— Dalton Police (@DaltonPD) February 28, 2018
Plan is still for students to be taken to NW GA Trade and Convention Center. Parents should rendezvous with kids there.
— Dalton Police (@DaltonPD) February 28, 2018
No info to release right now about identity of the subject who was barricaded or what caused the situation.
— Dalton Police (@DaltonPD) February 28, 2018
One student apparently sustained an ankle injury running inside the school during the evacuation. Student is being treated by EMS at the school.
— Dalton Police (@DaltonPD) February 28, 2018
As the tweets establish and a local news affiliate (WSB-TV) confirmed, no children were killed or injured by the reported gunfire. One child did sprain his or her ankle while running inside the school as it was evacuated, but that injury does not seem to have been directly caused by the shooting.
Conservatives like President Trump have been promoting the idea of arming teachers in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting. At one point during a White House event in which Trump met with governors, the president turned to Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott for support.
“We now have well over a hundred school districts in the state of Texas where teachers or other people who work in the school do carry a weapon … It could be a coach, it could be an administrator, it could be anybody who works in that school. But it’s a well-thought-out program with a lot of training in advance,” Abbott told Trump, according to The Washington Post.
Trump replied by telling Abbott, “Well, I think that’s great. And so, essentially, what you’re saying is that when a sick individual comes into that school, they can expect major trouble. Right? Major trouble?!”
