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    • Stanton Middle School officer’s gun accidentally fires, no injuries
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    Stanton Middle School officer’s gun accidentally fires, no injuries

    Online Niel Posted on

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    No one was injured Wednesday after a Stanton Middle School police officer’s firearm accidentally discharged in the school’s hallway, Principal Matt Robinson said in an email to parents.

    According to the email, the officer was “reholstering his weapon” when he fired.

    “We are relieved to say that no one was injured and the students were safe in the classroom at the time,” Robinson wrote.

    He said the school is reviewing its safety protocols and Delaware State Police have been asked to investigate “in accordance with district and law enforcement protocols.”

    Do guns fire by mistake?

    Unless a firearm has been modified, the only way to make a modern firearm fire is to pull the trigger.

    This is because today’s semi-automatic pistols have a firing pin block, which prevents the firing pin from moving forward and striking the firing pin until the trigger is pulled. This means that even if a gun is dropped, it will not fire – unless the trigger is somehow engaged.

    It’s also what makes accidental discharges from holsters relatively uncommon, though not unheard of.

    READING: Delaware man fatally struck while jogging remembered for helping the helpless; accused driver

    Although it is not known what kind of holster the policeman was using, leather and canvas holsters have sometimes proven problematic when the holster material bends in such a way as to activate the trigger.

    In addition, at least one firearm experienced safety issues that resulted in numerous accidental discharges, according to an eight-month investigation by The Trace and The Washington Post published last year.

    The investigation found that more than 100 people said their SIG Sauer P320 pistols discharged without them pulling the trigger. Of these, at least 80 people were injured, according to the investigation.

    “Those injured included both casual owners and firearms experts whose guns were fired in their homes and offices and in crowded public places such as casinos and parking lots,” the authors wrote. “In two cases, guns went off on school grounds.”

    The investigation also found that the discharges occurred during “routine movement” – including holstering or unholstering the gun.

    Robinson, the Stanton Middle School principal, did not provide details on the type of weapon the officer was carrying. The investigation has just begun, he said.

    Do you have a tip? Submit to Isabel Hughes at [email protected] or 302-324-2785. For all the latest news, follow X at @izzihughes_

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