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.

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"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.