The school resource officer assigned to Evergreen High School was not at the campus Wednesday when a student opened fire, leaving parents and students to question whether the school was left more vulnerable to an attack.

Mark Techmeyer, director of public affairs for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, said the school resource officer assigned to Evergreen High School Wednesday was called away from the campus to respond to a nearby car crash that morning.

The regular school resource officer has been out on medical leave for about 10 months, Techmeyer said, and the school has had rotating substitute officers since then.

Techmeyer said it is normal for SROs to leave their posts for lunch and doctor’s appointments, as with any job, or to be dispatched to nearby incidents, as the SRO at

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