School resource officer accidentally fires gun inside Virginia middle school
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Authorities say a resource officer at a Virginia middle school accidentally fired his weapon inside his office Tuesday. No one was injured in the incident.
The incident took place inside George Washington Middle School at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The Alexandria Police Department said they are investigating what went wrong.
In a statement, the department said the officer "immediately checked for potential injuries in the area" and determined no one was injured. He then contacted his supervisor and the school's staff.
"All students and staff are safe and classes continued as normal," the statement said.
The resource officer is a five-year veteran of the city's police department. He has been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
The incident takes place amid a national debate on whether schools should arm teachers or provide armed security to prevent shootings.