Hundreds of teachers sign up for free gun training in Ohio
An Ohio Sheriff is offering free gun training to teachers in response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead.
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones told FOX Business’ Liz MacDonald that the response from teachers and school administrators has been overwhelming.
“We thought we’d get 20, 25 signed up. We had 50 within the first hour. We had 100 within two hours, we had three hundred within like five hours. We offered to teachers first, then we start getting calls from a secretary that works in the school, janitors that work in the school,” Jones said.
More schools are beginning to train their educators to access or carry concealed weapons with reports suggesting there are now more than 1,000 school staffers in a dozen states with access to guns in schools spanning 225 districts.
“There’s nowhere you go that you don’t have guns. America, that’s our culture. You are not going to stop crazy people from coming in getting guns but you can stop the carnage in three to four minutes of any shooting,” Jones said.
The Butler County Sheriff said the limit of 300 had been reached for the class.
On Thursday, National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre called for armed guards to protect children in schools.
“It should not be easier for a mad man to shoot up a school than a bank or jewelry store or some Hollywood gala. Schools must be the most harden targets in this country,” LaPierre said during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.
Two Ohio state senators have proposed legislation to ban assault weapons throughout the state. Sheriff Jones said the call for a statewide ban on assault weapons is not the answer.
“The school shooting wasn’t an assault weapon. They call these assault rifles. These are single shot rifles that look like assault rifles,” he said, adding that they are no different than .22-caliber pistols.