Ohio School District Now Allows Teachers and Staff to Carry Guns to Protect Against Active Shooters

An Ohio school district's new policy permits teachers and employees to carry firearms due to active shooter fears.

The River Valley Local School District in rural Marion County has joined the state's 22 other school districts that allow authorized staff members to carry guns on campus, as reported by Fox News.

Superintendent Adam Wickham said the new policy prevents schools from falling victim to active shooter incidents. He emphasized that most such incidents occur in places with either few or no guns or safety precautions.

The official noted having armed personnel on campus might help schools respond to the danger more quickly and perhaps save lives since responding to an incident in their remote neighborhood can take minutes.

Wickham also cited previous US school shootings, such as those in Nashville, Uvalde, and Parkland, to highlight how crucial it is to act quickly in these circumstances.

The school district's four facilities, including a high school, a middle school, and two elementary schools, would each have an armed staff member in addition to the school resource officer from the Marion County Sheriff's Office stationed on campus, the superintendent said.

He noted that not everyone supports the program but highlighted that River Valley's safety measures, including armed employees, are in place to protect pupils and staff so they can come home safe to their families every day.

On June 13, 2022, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 99, authorizing school districts throughout the state to permit teachers, administrators, and other employees to bring weapons into classrooms after 24 hours of training.

Democrats Push Other Means To Stop US School Shootings

US legislators view such measures as a means to increase school safety. However, other experts contend that teacher safety education is more cost-efficient and effective than new technology.

To solve the problem of US school shootings, Democratic state legislators have called for stricter gun legislation. However, a lot of people are now supporting the Republican-led emergency measures for schools, as per VOA News.

Democrats are in charge of Oregon's legislature, which is located in the northwest. There is a law that would mandate schools to notify parents through electronic means as quickly as feasible after a safety hazard. With the backing of all legislators, it was approved by the state House of Representatives. Another measure requiring panic alert devices in public schools is authored by two Democrats.

If the panic alert measure is approved, Oregon will become the fourth state to enact the rule. Florida, New Jersey, and New York approved it. Similar legislation is being considered in several other US states.

Gun Injuries: The Leading Cause of Fatalities Among US Youngsters

Gun injuries kill and injure tens of thousands of Americans annually.

The independent organization Gun Violence Archive, there have been 163 mass shootings in the US so far this year, the Evening Standard reported.

Guns overtook all other factors as the main killer of children and teens in the US in 2020. In that year, injuries from firearms resulted in the deaths of more than 4,300 kids and teens. This was contrasted with automobile accidents, which were the second-leading cause of mortality and claimed the lives of around 3,900 young people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more individuals died from gun-related injuries in the US in 2020 than in any previous year. Homicides accounted for around 43% of these fatalities.

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Ohio, United States, School Shooting, School, Gun violence, Gun control