WASHINGTON β A federal prison inmate who was able to obtain a firearm at a prison camp in Arizona pulled out the gun in a visitation area and attempted to shoot a visitor in the head, The Associated Press has learned.
The weapon misfired and the female visitor was uninjured in Sundayβs incident at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson.
The incident marked a major security lapse and massive breach of protocol, raising serious questions about the security practices in place at the Bureau of Prisons, which is responsible for more than 150,000 federal inmates.
The Bureau of Prisons tells the AP that the inmate attempted to fire the weapon, which had been concealed in the prison. But the weapon did not fire and no one was injured.
The incident happened at a minimum-security federal prison camp β most of which donβt even have fences and house inmates the Bureau of Prisons considers to be the lowest security risk.
The inmate was restrained and the firearm was seized, officials said.
Federal officials have launched an investigation.
The Bureau of Prisons has been plagued by chronic mismanagement, misconduct and a severe staffing crisis. A new director was brought on earlier this year as Justice Department officials attempt to reform the agency.
The Southern Arizona Crisis Intervention Team trainings are aimed at teaching Tucson-area first responders how get people in crises necessary help instead of taking them to jail.Β
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