Armed security in schools makes adults outside schools feel better, but it doesn’t actually solve anything. While the gun industry actively blocked research on gun violence for over 20 years, we still have data and research on school shootings that show that the presence of armed security fails to protect kids and schools from the threat of school shootings.
Here are three resources to get started:
- Study of school shootings from 1980 to 2019. Findings show that the presence of an armed guard was associated with higher rates of death.
- Interview with the authors of “The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic”.
Key quote on why armed security doesn’t fix school shootings: “I don’t think most people realize that these are suicides, in addition to homicides. Mass shooters design these to be their final acts. When you realize this, it completely flips the idea that someone with a gun on the scene is going to deter this. If anything, that’s an incentive for these individuals. They are going in to be killed.” - John Oliver breaking down why armed security in schools doesn’t work.
We also have plenty of examples showing how guns in schools lead to increased risk, injury, and accidental death.
- Mother shot and killed by armed school security.
- School security officer shoots cafeteria wall in middle school.
- Third grader fires a round from an armed security officers pistol.
- Police officer, teacher, and gun safety instructor fires gun during gun safety course.
- School security leaves gun in bathroom where it is discovered by students.
- School staff leaves gun on a school bus where it’s discovered by students.
- Vice principal leaves gun unattended in school bathroom.
- Teacher leaves gun in faculty work area.
- Staff who completed concealed carry training leaves gun unattended; first grader gets the weapon and points it at another student.