No one hurt at OMS

By Don Rush

A security guard for the Oxford Community Schools district first placed on leave after his gun was discharged last Monday morning, Oct. 3, has since resigned. No one was hurt because of the incident at Oxford Middle School (OMS), 1420 Lakeville Road.

At the end of a special board of education meeting on Oct. 5, Superintendent Ken Weaver told the board the individual had tendered his resignation earlier that day. “We have accepted his resignation,” Weaver said. “While there are no excuses, you can ask anybody in that building and they will tell you he went above and beyond with his duties. He’s very upset at himself, however, he is no longer an employee of the district.”

In an Oct. 4 release to the community Weaver said, “While this individual has faithfully served our students and community for the last five years, the careless handling of a firearm is inexcusable. The district will be reviewing all policies and procedures and we will ensure that all security staff understand and comply with the proper handling of firearms. The safety of all children is our top priority.”

According to reports, the incident occurred before lunch at OMS, and in the men’s single stall staff bathroom near the field house. The OMS security guard was “using the facilities and placed his weapon on the hook on the inside of the stall door. While he was retrieving his weapon from the hook it caught on the lower portion of the hook and accidentally discharged into the cement ceiling. Neither the guard nor anyone else was injured. Due to the location of the bathroom, no one heard the discharge nor was anyone else aware the incident occurred aside from the security guard. The security guard immediately reported it to school officials’ and notified the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) to document the accidental discharge of his weapon as by law.”

Stephen Huber, Communications Officer for the OCSO said, “The Sheriff’s Office was notified, investigated the incident and determined it to be an accident. The officer retired from the Sheriff’s Office five years ago.”

The security guard is a retired police officer with 28 years of experience was not part of the private security company the district hired. The guard was Oxford Community Schools employee. According to the district, the guard’s job responsibilities with Oxford Schools was to provide “additional safety and security with the school resource officer at Oxford Middle School.”

Weaver said the district will investigate this situation and examine weapons protocols for armed security guards and “then take corrective action to prevent incidents like this from happening again.”