Georgia teacher in custody after police say he fired a gun in empty classroom

Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Police: Georgia teacher in custody of reports of shooting at school Police officers responded to reports of shots fired inside a Georgia high school on Wednesday and a teacher who was apparently barricaded in a classroom was taken into custody

A social studies teacher who fired one shot from a handgun after barricading himself in an empty classroom at a Georgia high school was arrested Wednesday, police said.

Officers persuaded the teacher to surrender without incident after about 30 to 45 minutes, said Dalton, Ga., police spokesman Bruce Frazier.

"We had officers inside the building quickly,” he said.

No one was injured aside from a female student who hurt her ankle while rushing to evacuate Dalton High School.

The incident occurred two weeks after a school shooting in neighboring Florida left 17 students and faculty dead, renewing the debate about gun control in the U.S. In the wake of that tragedy, President Trump and federal and state legislators have proposed arming teachers, a move backed by the National Rifle Association.

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Frazier said the teacher, identified as Jesse Randal Davidson, 53, is facing six charges, including aggravated assault, terroristic threats and carrying a weapon on school grounds.

According to the school website, Davidson did the play-by-play for the Dalton High School as the "voice of the Catamounts" and has written a two-volume history of the team.

Davidson, who has taught at the school since 2004, apparently fired the handgun out the window and did not aim at anyone, Frazier said.

“I don’t know if he fired the gun off to let people know to back off or what,” he said.

Davidson had taught first period without incident or an indication of anything unusual, Frazier said. The shooting occurred during third period, when Davidson had a planning block.

“It certainly seems that he didn’t have any intention to harm anyone else,” Frazier said.

Here’s a look at the large police presence at Dalton High School. Suspect in custody. Students taken to a staging area for parents to pick them up. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/wtGq09cmsL — Chris Jose (@ChrisJoseWSB) February 28, 2018

The ordeal unfolded after Davidson apparently refused to allow students into the classroom and barricaded the door.

A single shot ran out inside the room when the principal arrived to try unlocking the door. School officials evacuated the school and placed it on lockdown. Students were taken to the city's convention center, the school said on its Facebook page.

Police said no students were ever in danger. The school, which has about 2,000 students, is about 90 miles north of Atlanta.