A California high school teacher unintentionally fired his gun Tuesday while leading a lesson on firearm safety, injuring three students, police said.

>> Read more trending news

According to KSBW and CNN, Seaside High School teacher Dennis Alexander, a Sand City Police Department reserve officer and the mayor pro tempore of Seaside, accidentally fired at the ceiling during his Administration of Justice class. Three students were hurt – including a 17-year-old boy with bullet fragments "lodged into his neck" – as debris fell from the ceiling, KSBW reported. Seaside police said the students' injuries were not serious.

The 17-year-old victim's father, Fermin Gonzales, said Alexander was preparing to show the students how to disarm a suspect and was checking whether his gun was loaded when the incident occurred.

Alexander, who "was not authorized to have a gun on campus," is now on administrative leave from the school and police department, KSBW reported.

About the Author

Featured

University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said joining neighboring states to form a new accreditation agency will “keep Georgia’s universities among the best in the nation." (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC