Crime & Safety
Dalton High Teacher In Custody After Barricade Situation: Cops
The teacher, who has been at the school since 2004, teaches social studies and also does the play by play for the football team, police say.
DALTON, GA — A Dalton High School teacher barricaded himself inside a classroom at the school Wednesday morning, firing one shot that went out the window and was not aimed at anyone, police said.
The teacher, identified by police as Jesse Randall Davidson, 53, teaches social studies at the school and also serves as the play by play voice of the school's football team, police say. Authorities said Davidson has been a teacher at the school since 2004.
Students were trying to enter the classroom before a class period but found that the door was locked and the teacher wasn't letting anyone enter, Bruce Frazier, a public relations specialist for Dalton police, said at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon. The principal came to the class but the teacher did not let him enter either, Frazier said.
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According to Frazier, when the principal put a key to the door, Davidson fired a shot with a handgun that went through a window.
The school was then put on lockdown and students in the immediate area of the classroom were evacuated to a safe area. After about 30 to 40 minutes, the teacher was taken into custody. Authorities say the barricade situation happened around 11:30 a.m.
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Frazier said there was no indication the teacher was targeting anybody and authorities weren't sure when the gun made it into the school. Davidson taught a first period class but Frazier said it wasn't clear whether he had a gun on him at the time.
Davidson has been charged with aggravated assault, carrying weapon on school grounds, terroristic threats, reckless conduct, possession of gun during commission of a crime and disrupting public school.
According to police, no children are injured or in any danger. One student suffered an ankle injury running inside the school during the evacuation and is being treated by EMS.
Police are telling parents not to come to the school.
Students are being taken to the Northwest Georgia Trade Center where parents can pick them up.
Patch will update this report.
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