A Utah school teacher carrying a concealed weapon at an elementary school was hit by the fragments of a porcelain toilet that broke when she accidentally discharged the firearm in a faculty bathroom on Thursday.

The accidental shooting that caused the sixth-grade teacher at Westbrook Elementary School to become her own victim once again ignited the long-standing debate of gun enthusiasts and anti-firearm supporters over safety concerns not only for the gun owners themselves, but also for the children in the school.

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The school, which is located in the Salt Lake City suburb of Taylorsville, has recently become the latest example for the disadvantages and dangers posed by allowing citizens, particularly teachers, to carry concealed firearms. For teachers carrying firearms at school, the Granite School District compels them to carry the weapon with them everywhere, even inside the bathroom.

Granite School District spokesperson Ben Horsley said that the responding officers initially thought that the teacher accidentally shot herself inside the faculty bathroom. However, further examination of the scene revealed that she incurred the injury when the bullet hit a toilet, which caused it to explode. Her lower leg was then struck by the fragments of the toilet and the bullet. At present, investigators are still determining the manner by which the gun was discharged. The initial finding is that the incident was merely an accident.  

Michelle Ferguson-Montgomery, the sixth-grade teacher, was then rushed to a Salt Lake City hospital and is declared to be in good condition. Upon inspection, she was found to have a concealed-firearm permit for the gun. Authorities disclosed that no students or faculty members witnessed the incident, but some possibly heard the gunshot when the firearm was accidentally discharged. Despite the incident, however, Horsley stated that classes were pushed through on Thursday. Crisis counselors were also made available to those in need of their assistance. With respect to the disciplinary action to be faced by Ferguson-Montgomery, Horsley made no comment.

In the information released by the National Conference of State Legislatures, Utah is one of the few states that permit citizens to carry concealed weapons in public schools. In accordance with their regulations, teachers are not obligated to divulge that they have a concealed firearm with them. In addition, school administrators are prohibited from inquiring as to the presence of a concealed firearm or restraining them from bringing their guns. Gun-rights supporters estimated that approximately 240 teachers have the license to carry concealed weapons.

TagsUtah, gunshot, Westbrook Elementary School, Firearm, weapon, Granite School District, gun advocate, Ben Horsley, Salt Lake, Toilet