A sheriff in Ohio has already started the process of training school personnel on how to carry a concealed weapon, and predicted on Friday that hundreds would soon be trained and ready.
“Our teachers start training Monday in firearms ccw,” Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones tweeted Friday, referring to concealed carry weapons.
“While our gov still debates what 2 do we will have trained over 100 school personnel by Saturday,” he added.
Our teachers start training Monday in firearms ccw. While our gov still debates what 2 do we will have trained over 100 school personnel by Saturday.
— Richard K. Jones (@butlersheriff) February 23, 2018
President Trump has floated the idea training some teachers and other school personnel to use guns to help fight back when a shooter enters a school with the intent to kill innocent students. Trump has suggested that about 20 percent of the teachers might be armed or trained to use weapons, an idea most Democrats and even some Republicans say they oppose.
At a televised debate on guns hosted by CNN, a Florida law enforcement official said Trump’s plan makes no sense, and said teachers should only have to teach.
But Sheriff Jones said his offer to train teachers has been met with an overwhelming response. On Tuesday, he said he cut off requests at 300.
We have reached our limit right now, we’ve cut it at 300 requests. We will be in contact soon about classes and times. Thank You!
— Richard K. Jones (@butlersheriff) February 20, 2018
On Sunday, Jones’ office announced the class would be free, and said any employee of a school in the county can apply. Participants need to show proof of employment before the class starts.
According to the Miami Herald, Ohio and most other states ban guns in K-12 schools. But a new state law passed last year lets people in Ohio store guns in their cars while in a school zone.
