A man accidentally shot himself in the leg while he was walking into the campus of an elementary school in Arlington, Texas Thursday morning, NBC DFW reports.
Anthony White, 55, was walking toward the front office of Duff Elementary when he adjusted his pants and managed to hit the trigger of a gun that was tucked into his waistband. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was harmed.
The school was briefly placed on lockdown as police investigated the matter. Authorities later confirmed that the man arrived early to pick up a child. “We DO NOT believe there was any malicious intent on the parent’s part or any threat to the school,” Arlington Police said in a statement. The Arlington Independent School District also indicated that no threats were made towards the school.
Keri Stubbe spoke with NBC DFW about her reaction to receiving an alert regarding a lockdown in the school that her two children attend. “So, I ran out of work. I’ll probably get fired, but it’s okay,” Stubbe said. “I knew they were in good hands. Just as a parent, automatically assume the worst things. So, you just want to be with them.”
Since today was the last day of the school year in the Arlington ISD, elementary schools were scheduled for a 12:10 p.m. dismissal, and the students at Duff Elementary were released on time.
An investigation is still being conducted as states are required by federal law to designate school property as gun free zones, therefore, making it a state crime to possess a firearm on school grounds.
