Missouri School Teachers Are Training Themselves To Shoot Back In Case Of Another School Shooting

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASeBTvyBeYY&w=784&h=524%5D

Schoolteachers in Missouri are taking to the shooting range. They’re being trained by licensed firearms instructors in case they’re faced with school shootings that’s been plaguing the country.

According to the Kansas City Star, four Missouri schools have sent their staff to shooting ranges for firearm training.

The instructors, all current law enforcement officers, refer to the teachers’ “unique situation” — essentially close-quarters combat while youngsters scream and run about.

“You have to pick your environment apart,” Jason Long, a lieutenant with the Howell County sheriff’s office, stresses to the class.

So, are these teachers ready to pull the trigger on a shooter? How about if it’s a kid they’ve had in class?

“None of us would be here if we haven’t already answered that question,” one man said.

While some applaud these schools for taking action to take steps to prevent tragedies, there are many that oppose arming teachers.

G.A. Buie, principal of Eudora High School in Kansas, believes that arming teachers is the wrong course of action.

“We would be asking school officials, trained as educators, to make a quick transition from teacher to SWAT member, arrive on the scene, assess the situation, overcome the severe nervousness that naturally accompanies a deadly force incident and take immediate action before blood is shed,” Buie said.

The Missouri school board apparently takes no sides regarding this issue. They are deferring all decisions down to the local level.

The training includes maintenance, stationary shooting, moving while shooting, among other things like identifying threats and entering the “warrior mindset.”

Instructors hope that this training helps teachers perform under pressure.

h/t Kansas City Star