San Gabriel school principal placed on leave after conducting unauthorized active shooter drill

SAN GABRIEL, Calif. (KABC) -- A school principal accused of conducting an active shooter drill without guidance has been placed on leave.

It happened on Wednesday at Washington Elementary in San Gabriel.

Parents say the drill involved principal Nina Denson walking around campus pretending to shoot students.

The San Gabriel Unified School District says it's providing counseling to students and has launched an investigation. The school district released a statement that read in part:

"Shortly after the conclusion of the lockdown drill at Washington Elementary School on Wednesday, District administration was made aware of concerns from teachers, and later parents, from the site. After an initial investigation, the District determined that the drill did not appear to be conducted in line with either District guidance or recommended best practices.

As the District conducts a thorough investigation of what happened, the principal will be on a leave of absence for the duration of the review. Ms. Katie Ingram, teacher at Washington Elementary, has agreed to serve as the Administrative Designee in the principal's absence. Ms. Ingram has served in the District for 19 years, including service as the lead teacher at Washington.

Since the investigation is ongoing, the District cannot comment further on what happened on Wednesday."