Teacher accidentally fires a gun in California high school during class on public safety

Joe Szydlowski | The Salinas Californian

Show Caption Hide Caption Student injured after teacher accidentally fires gun in class Student injured after teacher accidentally fires a gun at Seaside High School. Veuer's Elizabeth Keatinge (@elizkeatinge) has more.

SALINAS, Calif. — A teacher accidentally fired a gun Tuesday during a class about public safety at a California classroom, police say.

No one was hurt at Seaside High School when teacher Dennis Alexander inadvertently fired one shot off at 1:20 p.m., according to a press release from the Seaside Police Department.

Police did not specify what type of gun was used. A call seeking comment was not immediately returned.

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Alexander had been teaching about public safety awareness, police said.

Classes resumed at the Seaside school resumed shortly after the incident.

Alexander also serves as a reserve police officer for the Sand City police and is a Seaside city councilman.

The incident, which follows the shooting deaths of 17 students and staff members at a high school in Parkland, Fla., comes amid a national debate on school safety and whether teachers should be armed on school campuses.