Armed resource officer stops school shooting at Atlanta middle school

[BenPoquette]

Here is one for those in favor of armed guards inside schools.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/31/price-middle-school-shoot_n_2595189.html?ncid=webmail1

"ATLANTA — A student opened fire at his middle school Thursday afternoon, wounding a 14-year-old in the neck before an armed officer working at the school was able to get the gun away, police said.

Multiple shots were fired in the courtyard of Price Middle School just south of downtown about 1:50 p.m. and the one boy was hit, Atlanta Police Chief George Turner said. In the aftermath, a teacher received minor cuts, he said."

Click the link for the full story.

 

[YGBFKM]

My guess is this thread is of no interest to the people who care most about safety.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Resource officers are fully-trained police officers. They aren't armed guards.

Also, the story doesn't say how he was able to get the gun away from the kid. Did the officer draw down on him or tackle him?

 

[Dick Whitman]

How precisely was he "able to get the gun away"?

That's an important detail that seems to be missing from the story.

 

[Dick Whitman]

And, also, this doesn't seem to be one of Wayne LaPierre's armed civilian volunteers "from the community," correct?

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Schools all over the country have police officers on duty. This is nothing unique.

Militia nuts living out their fantasies by bringing their guns to school, now that would be unique. And stupid.

 

[old_tony]

My guess is this thread is of no interest to the people who care most about safety.

It appears you are correct.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Again: How did he "get the gun" away from him?

 

[LongTimeListener]

Doesn't sound like the kid went into the school with the intention of pulling a shoot 'em up. Says the victim was targeted. The idea of this being some kind of struggle between the two, or one in which the cop being armed was a central point, seems a little far-fetched for now.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

My guess is this thread is of no interest to the people who care most about safety.

It appears you are correct.

Nah, he's full of ****.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Is the debate whether we consider any place safer with a police presence?

The answer is yes.

Is that controversial?

I think the arguments center around the trade-offs that flow from that, right?

 

[BenPoquette]

I would like to know the details, too. All we know is that an armed off-duty guard stopped a school shooting. Would love to know more about it. I'm sure more details will come out, but fully expect this story to be spun to fit an agenda by both sides.

 

[Small Town Guy]

Tony, 10 replies in 19 minutes isn't enough reaction?

And did the kid use an assault rifle? Doesn't sound like it. I'm fine with officers in buildings. As noted, thousands of schools already have this. It's having the George Martins -- or janitors -- running around armed that gives me pause. Now, can we also have armed officers in every: movie theater/restaurant/mall/Walmart/college classroom/college campus/park/office? Or would, maybe, perhaps, trying to limit assault rifles also play a role in preventing *some* mass shootings, in the same way that armed people can prevent *some* mass shootings.

(Although this doesn't sound like a kid who came looking to kill everyone randomly).

 

[cyclingwriter]

Cop does job.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I would definitely be in favor of schools having a similar-type officers on duty.

As was pointed out, a fully-trained police officer, not some militia guy or an armed civilian volunteer, but a fully-trained police officer.

 

[BenPoquette]

(Although this doesn't sound like a kid who came looking to kill everyone randomly).

No one can say this with any certainty. Irresponsible to speculate either way. We won't know what was on this kid's mind until he is interrogated. Even then, how can we tell for sure? Kid brought gun to school, kid was stopped. No one knows what would have happened...but we do know what didn't happen.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Is the debate whether we consider any place safer with a police presence?

The answer is yes.

Is that controversial?

I think the arguments center around the trade-offs that flow from that, right?

It has to be a trained police officer, not some neighborhood watch guy with a gun permit...

I think we're very close to getting to the point where most schools have someone like this there.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Doesn't sound like the kid went into the school with the intention of pulling a shoot 'em up. Says the victim was targeted. The idea of this being some kind of struggle between the two, or one in which the cop being armed was a central point, seems a little far-fetched for now.

The Columbine victims were targeted too...

 

[Dick Whitman]

Is the debate whether we consider any place safer with a police presence?

The answer is yes.

Is that controversial?

I think the arguments center around the trade-offs that flow from that, right?

It has to be a trained police officer, not some neighborhood watch guy with a gun permit...

I think we're very close to getting to the point where most schools have someone like this there.

Perhaps. It would be interesting to see how crime rates respond in those communities, though, when you take 5-6 trained officers off the street each day in some school districts. Meaning that, ultimately, there may be a net protection loss for communities because resources are inefficiently distributed.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Doesn't sound like the kid went into the school with the intention of pulling a shoot 'em up. Says the victim was targeted. The idea of this being some kind of struggle between the two, or one in which the cop being armed was a central point, seems a little far-fetched for now.

The Columbine victims were targeted too...

Yep. Love how the anti-gun whack-jobs are trying to downplay what happened here.