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U.S. NEWS Thursday 1 March 2018

Teacher barricades himself in class, fires gun; no one hurt

noises that were made as including aggravated as- blockaded his door and
well,” Principal Steve Bar- sault involving a gun and proceeded to shoot. We
too said. terroristic threats and acts, had to run out the back of
Bartoo returned a short jail records showed. Other the school in the rain. Stu-
time later and put his key charges include carrying a dents were being trampled
in the door “and again he weapon in a school safety and screaming. I dare you
slammed the door before I zone and reckless conduct. to tell me arming teach-
could open it and he said, It’s not clear if he has an at- ers will make us safe,” she
‘Don’t come in here, I have torney. tweeted in a post that was
a gun.’” Chondi Chastain told The retweeted 15,000 times
That’s when Davidson fired Associated Press she was within hours.
and the school was placed supposed to have David- She said Davidson himself
on lockdown, authorities son’s class at 2:30 p.m. had commented that arm-
said. “My favorite teacher at ing teachers was a bad
Davidson faces six charges, Dalton high school just idea.q
Parents and family members wait to get into the Dalton
Convention Center on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018 in Dalton,
Ga. Students from Dalton High School were evacuated to the
Dalton Convention Center after social studies teacher Randal
Davidson allegedly barricaded himself in a classroom and fired
a handgun.
(C.B. Schmelter/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP)

By JEFF MARTIN Donald Trump, who has ad-
ALINA HARTOUNIAN vocated for arming teach-
Associated Press ers, convened a bipartisan
ATLANTA (AP) — A social group of lawmakers at the
studies teacher barricaded White House to address
himself inside a classroom gun violence.
at a Georgia high school The teacher was taken
on Wednesday and fired a into custody without inci-
handgun, sending students dent after a 30- to 45-min-
running outside or hunker- ute standoff with officers,
ing down in darkened gym police spokesman Bruce
locker rooms, authorities Frazier said. A teacher
said. since 2004, Davidson also
No Dalton High School stu- serves as the play-by-play
dents were in the classroom announcer for the high
when the teacher fired the school’s football team.
weapon, and despite the Police noted that David-
chaotic lockdown and son didn’t appear to want
evacuation, the only injury to hurt the students or fac-
was a student who hurt her ulty. He fired the gun at an
ankle running away. exterior window when the
It wasn’t immediately clear principal tried to enter the
why the teacher, 53-year- classroom.
old Jesse Randal Davidson, “I don’t know whether he
had the gun. Under ques- was just firing the gun off
tioning by detectives, he to let people know to back
refused to discuss what led off or what,” Frazier said.
to the shooting. The shooting happened
The gunfire erupted with a about 11:30 a.m. during
nation on edge two weeks Davidson’s planning peri-
after a Florida school shoot- od. At first, students tried to
ing left 17 students and get into the classroom, but
faculty dead and ignited they couldn’t. The students
a new debate over gun told the principal, who tried
control in America. With- to enter.
in minutes of the Dalton “I didn’t get the door open
shooting, students there very far, but he slammed
took to social media, call- the door and hollered ‘Go
ing for restricting gun rights. away, don’t come in here.’
In the afternoon, President He had some nonsensical