How A Danvers Police Officer's Gun Fired In St. John's Prep Active Shooter Response: Town

DANVERS, MA — A Danvers police officer's shot fired during the response to an active shooter report at St. John's Prep on Monday — which escalated the panic on campus and led to a large-scale response from State Police and surrounding departments — was described as an accidental discharge of a weapon that the officer was attempting to holster during a bathroom sweep, according to a town statement released on Thursday.

The statement from Danvers Communications Manager Jen Breaker said that Det. Christopher Gaffney, an 11-year veteran of the department, has his gun drawn as officers entered the Benjamin Hall bathroom that was said to be the site of what was later determined to be a hoax report of an active shooter spotted on campus when he inadvertently fired his gun.

"As the three officers exited the first-floor bathroom, one of the officers began holstering his firearm," the statement said. "The officer reported that as he did, his index finger was extended along the side of the barrel, which is consistent with his training, and that a secondary piece of equipment interfered with the holstering process, resulting in a single shot being discharged and striking the bathroom tile floor next to the officer's foot."

The town said it is awaiting additional State Police documentation to supplement the officer's incident report and is conducting an internal review.

"Upon completion, the department will request an independent review by the Essex County District Attorney's Office," the statement said, adding that the reviews will then be used to determine "any corrective actions and recommended training deemed appropriate."

The town said on Monday that officers were responding to the initial report of an active shooter, which was later determined to be a "swatting" hoax threat, when the accidental shot fired "elevated the situation from a normal swatting response to an actual active shooter situation."

Students and staff barricaded themselves in classrooms and under desks, while some fled to the nearby woods, as officers arrived with a second wave of response, swept the campus and determined there was no active threat.

"We recognize that Monday's events at St. John's Prep caused a significant amount of fear and angst for not only those present at the Prep that day, but also to our broader community," the town statement said on Thursday. "We are confident that we can take the lessons learned from these events and work together to effect change that will further ensure the safety of our
schools and community."

The town said the initial report came into the Danvers Police Emergency Center early Monday afternoon that "an individual in a bathroom on the St. John's campus possessed a long gun and intended to harm students."

Four officers arrived on campus less than two minutes after being dispatched and went to the first-floor bathroom at Benjamin Hall. Three officers, including Det. Gaffney, entered the bathroom "to clear potential threats" while a fourth officer maintained a position in the hallway.

The town statement said there were no students or faculty in the bathroom or the immediate area
of the bathroom at the time the shot was fired and that were no injuries.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)