So let’s arm all the teachers. Let’s give them a ten-hour or even 40-hour gun safety class and then strap a .40 cal. Semi-automatic pistol with a 14 round magazine on their hip and put sand bags under the teacher’s desk to provide a fortified shooting position. End of problem.

The average police officer on the street today has fired hundreds of rounds from his duty weapon at the range. He/she has fired at multiple targets from various positions. An officer has participated in simulator training watching movies and shooting laser guns at the suspects. An officer has participated in role-playing exercises that depict use of force situations. An officer is required to shoot at the range 6-12 times a year and obtain a qualifying score in order to be able to continue to work.
 

A .40 cal. Bullet will penetrate walls, car doors, certainly windows and bodies. When an officer fires his/her duty weapon, he/she is responsible for each bullet that is fired – hit or miss. Before an officer fires his duty weapon he/she has to conclude that there is a threat, who are the “good guys” and who are the “bad guys.” Who is behind the bad guy, even to the point of in the next class room if you miss. Is the suspect wearing body armor, is a head shot the only option, and so much more. Even with all this training, officers in the stress of the moment miss their target quite often.

So a couple of important questions: 1. Does the teacher even want that kind of responsibility? 2. Is the teacher mentally prepared to take the life of another? 3. Is the teacher covered civilly when, heaven forbid, the suspect shoots four kids and the teacher shoots two.

Arming school teachers is not simple and not the answer.