Mass Shootings In Public Schools

Many schools are considering applying a controversial initiative which is arming teachers because of the fact that school shootings have been happening more often since Columbine. According to the Washington Post ,“...mass public shootings are on the rise, and schools are now viewed as vulnerable targets. One of the deadliest in history claimed 28 lives, including 20 children, after Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012” (Wang). This shooting was the first mass shooting to really make parents consider their children's safety in public schools and have left some wondering what actions can be taken to prevent these shooting Yanan Wang shows the worry in her recent Washington Post article saying, “These

Kingsburg Joint High in Kingsburg, California has implemented having guns in school, and they have begun selecting candidates for training (Wang). These school districts are hoping that the thought of having guns in qualified hands will keep staff and students safe, and arming teachers will help make mass shootings a thing of the past. In today's society many parents and employees of school districts are worried for the wellbeing of students and staff when inside a public school. This fear has caused many schools to take action, placing guns in the hands of school district staff. School security expert Doug Wyllie states “...the Hanover School District 28 in Colorado has joined school districts in Texas, Oklahoma, and California that ‘have also backed allowing teachers to carry weapons following the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012.’” Schools have been hearing parents worries, and across the nation schools have been taking action placing guns in teachers hands. Another example of schools implementing this idea is in Texas and Indiana where proposals to arm teachers have just been introduced. The introduction of this idea shows the spreading of the idea farther west (Wang). Because this idea has been moving west one could see the concern of students safety slowly spread across the nation as the nation continues to reel from school shootings across

With many accidental firings of firearms in homes around the country giving guns to first time gun owners in such a heavily populated area such as a school is seen a dangerous to some people. School security expert Ken Trump reported that “ school staff with guns would take on significant responsibility and potential liabilities that I firmly believe are beyond the expertise, knowledge-base, experience, and professional capabilities of most school boards and administrators” (Arming). Many people believe that giving guns to these first timers is a liability to the school district in case of an accidental firings that may injure or kill a student or employee. For this reason many parents don't feel safe leaving their children on the hands of first time gun owners. In the end both sides have one common goal which is student safety. Student Safety is decided by school districts using their resources to make a decision that protects students for years to