School Shooting
DALLAS — A Dallas Independent School District maintenance worker is recovering at Parkland Memorial Hospital after shooting himself with a gun he carried onto an elementary campus.
Mitchum Patterson, 52, shot himself accidentally in his right thigh as he bent over inside a maintenance closet at Umphrey Lee Elementary School. The employee, who has worked at DISD for 14 years, had the loaded gun tucked in his pants.
DISD officials said the discovery that Patterson was carrying a weapon will likely cost him his job.
"We are just fortunate, very fortunate, that no child was injured by this," said district spokesman Jon Dahlander.
The district suspended Patterson, who they say was not working at the time of the incident. Officials said he was visiting with his grandkids, who are students at the school.
"It was crazy because our kids are here," said Laquecia Smith, a parent. "It's supposed to be a gun-free zone. You see the signs up and down the street."
Patterson's son said he was carrying the weapon to protect his grandkids, who he thought were in danger. Family members offered no further explanation.
"This is a very serious concern," Dahlander said. "You don't bring guns to school, particularly if you are a school district employee. You should know better than that."
School officials said no other children were around him at the time the gun went off. They said they will be sending letters home with students to let parents know about the incident.
DISD police plan to charge Patterson, who has been suspended from his job, with a third degree felony once he is released from the hospital.
Patterson could face two to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted. However, judges have the right to give probation in some cases.
E-mail ccivale@wfaa.com
