A sixth-grade teacher at a Utah elementary school is currently nursing injuries sustained from a gunshot to the leg while on school property yesterday (September 11).
No, this isn’t a case of the Sandy Hook tragedy repeating itself. The teacher accidentally shot herself in her lower leg after the concealed firearm she possessed went off in the bathroom.
Authorities told the Associated Press that bullet struck the toilet and fragments of porcelain exploded into Michelle Ferguson-Montgomery’s leg. She was listed to be in good condition and has been employed at Westbrook Elementary School in Salt Lake City suburb of Taylorsville for 14 years.
Ferguson-Montgomery’s possession of the weapon was perfectly legal due to her a concealed-firearm permit said Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley. This just appears at this point in time to be an accident,” he said in regards to any possible charges from the incident.
Legal or not, Miriam Walkingshaw, co-founder of Utah Parents Against Gun Violence, was outraged at the news. “[Thursday’s incident] is exactly what we are working against,” said to the press. “The risk of having any guns near children is greater than any risk teachers hope to prevent.”
Utah state Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, said teachers have been allowed to carry guns in the classroom for 13 years. A constitutional right he stands behind.
“The idea of having these firearms in these schools is that there’s no way anyone can prevent a mass shooting from starting,” he said. “The idea is to either be able to slow it down or stop it and to minimize the carnage.”
Images of the school around the time of the shooting can be found in the gallery below.
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Photos: FOX13, NBC4, CBS2
