Vern Evans
Details of a McClain County Sheriff’s Office school resource deputy’s accidental discharge, which occurred on the playground of Blanchard Elementary School in December, have emerged, highlighting the importance of gear choices and holster design when carrying a firearm in public.
See the Full Press release below.
McCLAIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Landy Offolter, Sheriff
December 17th, 2024 – PRESS RELEASE
Ref: Accidental Discharge at Blanchard Elementary School
On December 13th, 2024, a McClain County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Deputy’s service pistol accidentally discharged while interacting with students on the playground at Blanchard Elementary School.
The McClain County Sheriff’s Office immediately began conducting an investigation into the accidental discharge. During the course of the investigation, it was learned that a Deputy was seated on a wooden bench handing out stickers to several students. The Deputy began assisting a child in zipping up their jacket when the Deputy heard his gun discharge. The Deputy became aware of a child on his gun side and began checking this child and other students for any potential injuries. The child told the Deputy and a teacher he made the gun “shoot.”
The Deputy’s service pistol, a SIG Sauer P320, was still secured inside the Deputy’s Safariland holster and remained secured in the holster until Detectives arrived. The Deputy, with the assistance of Blanchard School employees, removed the students from the affected area while the Deputy waited for responding Detectives.
Detectives, upon inspection of the Deputy’s service pistol, learned the SIG Sauer P320’s slide was still locked in place with the spent shell casing still chambered, indicating the service pistol was seated and secured inside the Deputy’s holster at the time of accidental discharge. Detectives had to manually eject the spent shell casing.
Upon further inspection of the Streamlight TLR1 HL flashlight mounted to the SIG Sauer P320 inside the Safariland 6000 series holster, a significant gap was located between the P320’s trigger guard and the holster’s trigger guard, allowing for the trigger to be easily manipulated and gun to be discharged while the service weapon was secured inside the holster with the holster’s retention mechanism engaged.
Detectives performed a series of tests in an attempt to recreate the event. Detectives were successful in recreating the event with the unloaded weapon and holster using adult fingers, confirming a child’s finger would easily be able to manipulate the trigger through the gap in the holster. Based on the findings of the investigation, Detectives concluded the child manipulated the trigger of the Deputy’s weapon, causing it to discharge while in the holster.
These findings have also been consistent with other agencies’ accidental discharge investigations related to similar service pistols and holsters, including the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Currently, Deputies provide their own service pistol and duty holster. The McClain County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a thorough review of all weapons systems carried by its Deputies and will be reviewing Department-issued weapons systems options moving forward.
This has always been a point of contention for me when choosing a holster, as coverage of the trigger guard has always been a concern. And it isn’t just the idea of a prying finger slipping inside the holster either, as debris, clothing, drawstrings and any number of things might find their way into a holster, causing an accidental discharge or a malfunction at a most inopportune moment.
Let’s take a look at my Glock 47 equipped with a Holosun SCS MOS optic, Surefire X300 and factory threaded barrel inserted into my Safariland 6354RDSO ALS Level 2 and Alien Gear Rapid Force Level 3 holsters.
I am not picking on one versus the other and have been using them without issue for quite a while. I am mostly happy with both systems but would like to point out the difference in trigger guard coverage, however slight it may be. It has been proven time and time again that any obstruction that can make its way into this crevice can be cause for concern. In the case of this Oklahoma school resource deputy, that obstruction seems to have been the diminutive nature of a child’s finger.
The same principle is true of concealed carry holsters that, while tucked away, should have adequate coverage to protect a firearm from being accidentally discharged by any article of clothing or debris that might find its way into the holster.
To my more experienced gun owners who have heard this a million times, let this incident serve as a reminder. The intent of pointing this out is to educate newer firearms owners and carriers, of which there have been many since COVID-19 and the 2020 BLM and Antifa riots, on what to look for and consider depending on how and where you carry a firearm. While the risk of something working its way into your holster is ever present and should always be something to check for and be aware of, perhaps higher levels of retention and better trigger guard coverage are necessary if you are working or traveling in more densely populated settings, and especially around children who’s curiosity to fiddle with anything they can get their hands on has yet to be quenched.
Aside from this awareness, I’ll add that vigilance, training and repetition are the keys to safe gun handling. Most accidents happen while holstering and unholstering a loaded firearm. Do yourself a favor and practice these procedures with your handgun unloaded and the holster you intend to use. Work in some dry fire training while you’re at it. You may catch a crooked smile from your spouse for hard-core LARPing, but that’s okay. You’ll be a safer gun owner and better shooter because of it. And please, make sure it is unloaded! I had to say that twice.
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