What led to Jesse Randal Davidson a Georgia teacher of the year barricading himself in a classroom and firing off a gun? Social media posts provide clues.
Jesse Randal Davidson a Georgia, Dalton High School teacher has been arrested after firing a gun and barricading himself inside a classroom Wednesday morning.
Upon the 53 year old educator being taken into custody, police told of no one being shot or hurt during the ‘incident’.
AP reported Randal Davidson, who has been with the school since 20004, locking himself in a classroom and forbidding students to enter circa 11.40am. It was only when Principal Steve Bartoo attempted to unlock the door a shot was fired. Davidson is alleged to have fired through an exterior window in the classroom.
Davidson was barricaded inside the classroom for about 30 minutes before being arrested. CBS News reported police saying the teacher was in possession of a snub-nose .38 revolver handgun.
The teacher eventually relented before coming outside and surrendering himself.
Upon being taken into custody, the social studies teacher was charged with aggravated assault, carrying a weapon on school grounds, making terroristic threats, reckless conduct, possession of a gun during commission of a crime, and disrupting public school.
Following Davidson’s arrest, Principal Bartoo said he was shocked, while noting the social studies teacher was an, ‘excellent teacher, well thought of in our building’.
Reiterated Bartoo, ‘As far as I know he was fit to be at work,’
‘And I’m not aware of any current depression.’
Bartoo declined speculating if the married teacher and grandfather may have being undergoing strife in his personal life.
Actually, it ends up being a teacher I co-taught with. His name is Randal Davidson. I would never have dreamed he would ever do something like this!
— Meredith champion (@ChampionMtager) February 28, 2018
Jesse Randal Davidson gun firing related to threatening note posted last week?
The ensuing episode led to students posting videos to Snapchat of fellow students running through the hallways of Dalton High School and being escorted out of the building by police.
A report via heavy told of Davidson being named DHS STAR Teacher in 2012. In a school article post, Davidson said he got into teaching because he ‘wanted to pursue something that would provide more fulfillment and meaning’.
To date no motive for the outburst was released.
Of disconcert, during an afternoon press conference, police said a ‘threatening’ note had been found last week at the high school.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the note was related to the shooting Wednesday.
Police say the note was found February 21, and mentioned a threat against the school the following day. Dalton Police later said the note was not believed to be connected to Wednesday’s incident.
Assistant Police Chief Cliff Cason said in a statement at the time that officers planned an increased presence at the city’s schools in response to the note.
Authorities went on to say they were investigating how Davidson managed to bring a gun onto campus. Bartoo said teachers are not allowed to have guns on campus.
The Dalton High School suspect, Randal Davidson, in addition to calling Trump a Nazi, promoted & endorsed the “JeSuis Charlie” movement which is a Communist front used by Antifa in Greece, France, Rome, and Germany #QAnon #MAGA pic.twitter.com/c5NEbDkFXK
— DR JAMES A, PHD?⚖? (@DoRtChristians) February 28, 2018
Seems like Dalton High School teacher Randal Davidson tried to use other people’s posts as a code to share some anti-Black/ pro race soldier views pic.twitter.com/eGeAaUXXBJ
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) February 28, 2018
“Dalton High School” Liberal Randal Davidson, at least according to his Facebook page is a big anti-gun, anti-Second amendment guy and wants something done for gun control. So what does he do? #LockHimUp with Hillary.
— ImNotFakeNews (@harpus88) February 28, 2018
Jesse Randal Davidson social media posts:
In a bid to gain an inside understanding of Davidson’s thinking, thoughts and views, commentators on the web noted the teacher according to his Facebook page being a member of the “Teapublitarian Party” group, which says in its description, ‘If you want smaller government with less tax and regulation and all that then your tea party. If you believe in a representative republic and traditional values then you are republican. If you believe your personal rights and responsibilities begin where mine end and the minimal amount of government is still probably too much then your libertarian. If your a bit of all this then you are Teapublitarian. WELCOME HOME.’
Davidson also likes the NRA’s Institute for Legislative-Action page along with the Memorial Page for the Victims at Sandy Hook Elementary.
On Twitter, Davidson expressed support for ‘stand your ground’ laws.
Wednesday’s shooting comes two weeks after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida left 17 students and faculty dead and put the country on edge.
The high school’s website says it has 2,000 students. Dalton is about 90 miles north of Atlanta.
Welcome to a brave new America….
