The recent Reynolds High School shooting in Troutdale, Oregon proves two things about gun control: good guys with guns stop bad guys with guns, and gun free zones do not prevent shootings.

 

Troutdale OR Police Chief Scott Anderson. Photo credit: modified YouTube video screen capture

Following the Reynolds High School shooting, the usual anti-gun rights activists, liberal politicians and mainstream media talking heads are regurgitating the same-old talking points they always do. However, there are two important points that we all should take away that will likely be missed: armed guards – armed “good guys” – do indeed stop shootings and save lives, and gun free zones do not stop shootings.

Following the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, the NRA advocated  the use of armed personnel, in whatever form any particular school district deemed appropriate – police, retired law enforcement, or armed faculty and staff. Liberals lost their collective minds over the suggestion, and the NRA was severely criticized  by liberals, mainstream media, and anti-gun organizations. However in practice, schools do just that, utilizing armed law enforcement on campuses across our nation. According to the Department of Justice, nearly 17,000 officers from almost half of police and one-third of sheriff departments serve as School Resource Officers (SROs) in roughly half of all schools. And since Newtown, some districts have also opted for school staff to be armed.

Like the school shooting at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado last year that was stopped in “less than 80 seconds” because of the rapid response by the armed sheriff deputy officer stationed at that school, the shooting at Reynolds High school was stopped short by two armed SROs. In both incidents, only one student was murdered by the shooter; in both incidents the shooter, a student, committed suicide once pinned down by armed officers.

Troutdale Police Chief Scott Anderson said the shooter at Reynolds High School killed a fellow student in the locker room. He then shot and wounded a coach, Mr. Rispler, who fled and initiated the school’s lockdown procedure. Wearing a non-ballistic vest used for carrying ammunition and a multi-sport helmet, the shooter moved down the hallway where he encountered and exchanged gunfire with Troutdale Police officers, who were closing in on him from two separate hallways. He then moved into a separate, smaller bathroom where he took his own life.

The shooter was armed with an AR-15 rifle, along with nine magazines of ammunition, loaded with several hundred rounds (likely 270 rounds: nine magazines at 30 rounds capacity each). It is for this reason Anderson said the fast response by Troutdale Police school resource officers saved many lives:

I cannot emphasize enough the role that Mr. Rispler and the responding officers played in saving many, many lives. Given the weapons and amount of ammunition that the shooter was carrying, the early notification and the initial law enforcement response were critical.

Reynolds is the state’s second-largest high school with 2,800 students.

Though the loss of one life was tragic, it could have been much worse if not for the rapid response. Police said they had uncovered no connection between the murdered student and the shooter; it is unlikely that the shooter intended to kill only one student. Police at both Arapahoe and Reynolds schools emphasized the rapid response of armed officers stationed on-site. Police also emphasized school lockdown drills after both shootings. Armed good guys, it seems, do stop tragedies short and save lives.

The other takeaway that should be painfully obvious, is that gun free zone signs do not stop shootings. How many more concrete examples do we need before we recognize this obvious truth? Gun free zones are an utter failure as a policy to make people “more safe,” as they are intended. The Aurora, Colorado movie theater, Virginia Tech, Seattle Pacific University, Arapahoe High School, Columbine High School, Reynolds High School, Fort Hood, and the Washington Naval Yard shootings all took place in so-called “gun free zones.” Indeed every shooting in a so-called “gun free zone” further makes the case against gun free zones. Laws and signs do not self-enforce, which is why we have law enforcement officers. Perhaps is it time to stop advertising that our children’s schools (and movie theaters and military bases) are free-fire victim zones, and end gun free zones.

By Matt MacBradaigh. Matt is a Christian, Husband, Father, Patriot, and Conservative from the Pacific Northwest. Matt writes about the Second Amendment, Gun Control, Gun Rights, and Gun Policy issues and is published on The Bell Towers, The Brenner Brief, PolicyMic. TavernKeepers, and Vocativ.

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/2AFight  

Follow Me on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/2ndAmendmentFight
 

This article also appears on The Brenner Brief. (Original publication June 13, 2014).

Reynolds High School Shooting Proves Two Things About Gun Control

by Matt MacBradaigh | Jun 13, 2014 | Gun Control Facts | 0 comments

The recent Reynolds High School shooting in Troutdale, Oregon proves two things about gun control: good guys with guns stop bad guys with guns, and gun free zones do not prevent shootings.

Following the Reynolds High School shooting, the usual anti-gun rights activists, liberal politicians and mainstream media talking heads are regurgitating the same-old talking points they always do. However, there are two important points that we all should take away that will likely be missed: armed guards – armed “good guys” – do indeed stop shootings and save lives, and gun free zones do not stop shootings.

Following the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, the NRA advocated  the use of armed personnel, in whatever form any particular school district deemed appropriate – police, retired law enforcement, or armed faculty and staff. Liberals lost their collective minds over the suggestion, and the NRA was severely criticized  by liberals, mainstream media, and anti-gun organizations. However in practice, schools do just that, utilizing armed law enforcement on campuses across our nation. According to the Department of Justice, nearly 17,000 officers from almost half of police and one-third of sheriff departments serve as School Resource Officers (SROs) in roughly half of all schools. And since Newtown, some districts have also opted for school staff to be armed.

Like the school shooting at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado last year that was stopped in “less than 80 seconds” because of the rapid response by the armed sheriff deputy officer stationed at that school, the shooting at Reynolds High school was stopped short by two armed SROs. In both incidents, only one student was murdered by the shooter; in both incidents the shooter, a student, committed suicide once pinned down by armed officers.

Troutdale Police Chief Scott Anderson said the shooter at Reynolds High School killed a fellow student in the locker room. He then shot and wounded a coach, Mr. Rispler, who fled and initiated the school’s lockdown procedure. Wearing a non-ballistic vest used for carrying ammunition and a multi-sport helmet, the shooter moved down the hallway where he encountered and exchanged gunfire with Troutdale Police officers, who were closing in on him from two separate hallways. He then moved into a separate, smaller bathroom where he took his own life.

The shooter was armed with an AR-15 rifle, along with nine magazines of ammunition, loaded with several hundred rounds (likely 270 rounds: nine magazines at 30 rounds capacity each). It is for this reason Anderson said the fast response by Troutdale Police school resource officers saved many lives:

I cannot emphasize enough the role that Mr. Rispler and the responding officers played in saving many, many lives. Given the weapons and amount of ammunition that the shooter was carrying, the early notification and the initial law enforcement response were critical.

Reynolds is the state’s second-largest high school with 2,800 students.

Though the loss of one life was tragic, it could have been much worse if not for the rapid response. Police said they had uncovered no connection between the murdered student and the shooter; it is unlikely that the shooter intended to kill only one student. Police at both Arapahoe and Reynolds schools emphasized the rapid response of armed officers stationed on-site. Police also emphasized school lockdown drills after both shootings. Armed good guys, it seems, do stop tragedies short and save lives.

The other takeaway that should be painfully obvious, is that gun free zone signs do not stop shootings. How many more concrete examples do we need before we recognize this obvious truth? Gun free zones are an utter failure as a policy to make people “more safe,” as they are intended. The Aurora, Colorado movie theater, Virginia Tech, Seattle Pacific University, Arapahoe High School, Columbine High School, Reynolds High School, Fort Hood, and the Washington Naval Yard shootings all took place in so-called “gun free zones.” Indeed every shooting in a so-called “gun free zone” further makes the case against gun free zones. Laws and signs do not self-enforce, which is why we have law enforcement officers. Perhaps is it time to stop advertising that our children’s schools (and movie theaters and military bases) are free-fire victim zones, and end gun free zones.

This article was originally published on Brenner Brief. Original publish date Jun 13, 2014. Original author, Matt MacBradaigh.

Centennial High School Shooting: The quick response by an armed school guard – a local sheriff deputy – proves the NRA is right – good guys with guns stop bad guys with guns.

Mainstream media quickly dropped recent school shooting that took place in Centennial, Colorado December 13, 2013 once it was reported there was no AR-15 involved by Law Enforcement Officials. However, in regard to the gun debate, and what might be done to prevent violence at our schools, the most important fact is that the incident was over in less than 80 seconds because of the rapid response from an armed police officer on campus. “[The shooter] committed suicide in the libraryas an armed deputy stationed at the school cornered him, police said.”

Following the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in Newtown, CT, the NRA advocated the use of armed personnel, in whatever form any particular school district deemed appropriate, police, retired law enforcement, or armed faculty and staff. Many school districts utilize local police and sheriff’s departments. In fact, according to the Department of Justice, nearly 17,000 officers from almost half of police and one-third of sheriff departments serve as School Resource Officers (SRO’s) in roughly half of all schools. Following Newtown, some districts have also allowed for school staff to be armed while at school as well.

The NRA was severely criticized by liberals, mainstream media, and anti-gun organizations as crass and insensitive. ‘How dare they?’ liberals quipped. ‘Isn’t it obvious the last thing we need is more guns in schools?’, they berated.

It turns out the NRA was right.

What actually should be obvious to any observer with even the smallest hint of objectivity is that if nearly half of schools are already utilizing armed ‘good guys’ that it should be looked at as a serious option. Liberals might be shocked to learn that President Clinton signed a bill that provided millions in additional funding to do just that following the tragedy at Columbine, just miles from the Centennial shooting.

This most recent incident is tragic – an innocent girl murdered. Yet it could have been much more tragic were it not the extremely rapid response from armed officer at Arapahoe High School. “In less than 80 seconds”, the incident was over. By contrast, the Columbine incident lasted nearly an hour.

The shooter took his life after being cornered. Facing armed response from a good guy who could shoot back should he attempt violent resistance, or the prospect of facing the consequences of his actions if he surrendered, he choose to shoot himself. Parents and school boards everywhere should be taking note: “The rampage might have resulted in many more casualties had it not been for the quick response of a deputy sheriff who was working as a school resource officer at the school,” said Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson. “Once [the deputy] learned of the threat, he ran …yelling for people to get down and identified himself as a county deputy sheriff. We know for a fact that the shooter knew that the deputy was in the immediate area and, while the deputy was containing the shooter, the shooter took his own life.” The Sheriff also credited the adoption of the so-called active shooter response protocol, which was developed after Columbine, and lockdown rehearsal drills practiced by school staff and students.

Barring the rapid response from an armed officer, there very likely could have been more innocent children killed. The shooter had a pump-action shotgun, 125 shotgun shells, a machete, and three molotov cocktails, one of which was used in the library where he shot Claire Davis, and attempted to shoot the school librarian. Because of the SRO’s quick response, he was contained in the library, where he also took his own life, with no more innocent loss of life. This is not the assessment of the “evil” NRA’s say-so, this is the local, elected-and-accountable-to-the-people Sheriff. The NRA is vindicated, again, by this outcome: a good guy with a guy and the threat potential of returned force to the bad guy, prevented any further innocent deaths.

By Matt MacBradaigh. Matt is a Christian, Husband, Father, Patriot, and Conservative from the Pacific Northwest. Matt writes about the Second Amendment, Gun Control, Gun Rights, and Gun Policy issues and is published on The Bell Towers, The Brenner Brief, PolicyMic. TavernKeepers, and Vocativ.

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/2AFight  

Follow Me on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/2ndAmendmentFight
 

This article also appears on The Brenner Brief. (Original publication January 18, 2014).

Centennial High School Shooting Fast Response Proves NRA Right – Good Guys With Guns Stop Bad Guys

by Matt MacBradaigh | Jan 18, 2014 | Gun Control Facts | 1 comment

Centennial High School Shooting: The quick response by an armed school guard – a local sheriff deputy – proves the NRA is right – good guys with guns stop bad guys with guns.

Mainstream media quickly dropped recent school shooting that took place in Centennial, Colorado December 13, 2013 once it was reported there was no AR-15 involved by Law Enforcement Officials. However, in regard to the gun debate, and what might be done to prevent violence at our schools, the most important fact is that the incident was over in less than 80 seconds because of the rapid response from an armed police officer on campus. “[The shooter] committed suicide in the library as an armed deputy stationed at the school cornered him, police said.”

Following the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in Newtown, CT, the NRA advocated the use of armed personnel, in whatever form any particular school district deemed appropriate, police, retired law enforcement, or armed faculty and staff. Many school districts utilize local police and sheriff’s departments. In fact, according to the Department of Justice, nearly 17,000 officers from almost half of police and one-third of sheriff departments serve as School Resource Officers (SRO’s) in roughly half of all schools. Following Newtown, some districts have also allowed school staff to be armed while at school as well.

The NRA was severely criticized by liberals, mainstream media, and anti-gun rights organizations as crass and insensitive. ‘How dare they?’ liberals quipped. ‘Isn’t it obvious the last thing we need is more guns in schools?’, they berated.

It turns out the NRA was right.

What actually should be obvious to any observer with even the smallest hint of objectivity is that if nearly half of schools are already utilizing armed ‘good guys’ that it should be looked at as a serious option. Liberals might be shocked to learn that President Clinton signed a bill that provided millions in additional funding to do just that following the tragedy at Columbine, just miles from the Centennial shooting.

This most recent incident is tragic – an innocent girl murdered. Yet it could have been much more tragic were it not the extremely rapid response from armed officer at Arapahoe High School. “In less than 80 seconds”, the incident was over. By contrast, the Columbine incident lasted nearly an hour.

The shooter took his life after being cornered. Facing armed response from a good guy who could shoot back should he attempt violent resistance, or the prospect of facing the consequences of his actions if he surrendered, he choose to shoot himself. Parents and school boards everywhere should be taking note: “The rampage might have resulted in many more casualties had it not been for the quick response of a deputy sheriff who was working as a school resource officer at the school,” said Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson. “Once [the deputy] learned of the threat, he ran …yelling for people to get down and identified himself as a county deputy sheriff. We know for a fact that the shooter knew that the deputy was in the immediate area and, while the deputy was containing the shooter, the shooter took his own life.” The Sheriff also credited the adoption of the so-called active shooter response protocol, which was developed after Columbine, and lockdown rehearsal drills practiced by school staff and students.

Barring the rapid response from an armed officer, there very likely could have been more innocent children killed. The shooter had a pump-action shotgun, 125 shotgun shells, a machete, and three molotov cocktails, one of which was used in the library where he shot student Claire Davis, and attempted to shoot the school librarian. Because of the SRO’s quick response, he was contained in the library, where he also took his own life, with no more innocent loss of life. This is not the press release of the NRA, this is the assessment of  locally elected and accountable-to-the-people Sheriff. The NRA is vindicated – again – by this outcome: a good guy with a guy and the threat potential of returned force to the bad guy, prevented any further innocent deaths.

This article was originally published on Brenner Brief. Original publish date Jan 18, 2014. Original author, Matt MacBradaigh.

Gun Control Debate: NRA Vindicated by School Board's Decision to Put Armed Guards in Schools

Following the tragedy at Newtown Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn., the NRA called for an armed response; to reverse course in making schools "gun free zones," or advertised unarmed targets.





NRA executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, said, "the monsters and the predators of the world" have exploited the fact that most schools are gun-free zones, noting that other important institutions — such as banks, courts, and power plants — are protected with armed security. This suggestion was met with significant criticism in the media and from politicians. Yet in practice before Newtown, and even more since then, this idea has widespread acceptance.

 




 Some school districts already allow armed staff. Harrold Independent School District in Texas allows employees to carry concealed guns on school campuses. Employees must have a Texas state concealed carry license, and have completed firearms training, and have received approval from the school board.

A 2010 report from the Department of Justice, "Assigning Police Officers to Schools," states that an estimated one-third of all sheriffs’ offices and almost half of all municipal police departments assign nearly 17,000 sworn officers to serve in schools.  Nearly half of all public schools have assigned police officers, referred to as school resource officers (SROs).  The COPS in Schools program has drawn on research findings and police practices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, noting that even though laws, customs, and police practices vary from country to country, "it is apparent that the police everywhere experience common problems." Officers often support advance planning for managing crises, including assisting with: developing incident response systems, developing and coordinating emergency response plans (in conjunction with other emergency responders), and rehearsing such protocols using tabletop exercises, drills, and mock evacuations and lock downs.

The COPS in Schools program isn't new: former President Clinton provided funding for it in 2000 following the tragedy at Columbine, adding to the 2,200 officers in the program at that time.  Nor is Clinton the only Democratic president to formally support armed security in schools. As I have written previously, President Obama signed 23 executive orders following the tragedy at Newtown; Order 18 is "Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers." TIME magazine confirms that the president is "increase[ing] federal funding for school security." (January 28, 2013, p.30).  While perhaps not an end-all solution, armed guards have stopped shootings. The Associated Press reported that an armed school resource officer disarmed a teen with a gun during a shooting at a middle school in Atlanta this January.

Since the tragedy at Newtown, some schools are opting for increased armed security. Fontana Unified School District Police Department purchased 14 AR-15 rifles "to protect students in response to recent shootings," with support from Superintendent Cali Olsen-Binks, Fontana Police Chief Rodney Jones, and Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren. The AR-15 rifles will be stored on campuses in locked safes for responding police officers in the event of an attack.

Educators are also opting for training in armed response and active shooter response.  After Newtown, non-profit Buckeye Firearms Foundation announced that they would provide free firearms training to teachers and school administrative staff.  At least 600 applicants from Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia have taken them up on the offer.  The foundation stated that, "More than a third of applicants are women. Over 70% percent are teachers, but there are also administrators, office staff, and guidance counselors. Half work in high schools, but many work in kindergartens, grade schools, and middle schools. And there's a fairly even distribution of applicants from urban, suburban, and rural areas."  Applicants will have to pass the same test as law enforcement to graduate the program, which also provides advanced level active shooter response training.

Even Newtown's school board has voted for armed security, voting unanimously to request an armed guard for each of the district’s four elementary schools. In Newtown, the argument isn't over whether it's a good idea to have armed guards, but rather if schools should have more than one armed guard. Board member Richard Gaines asked "Is that enough?"

Despite the lashing the NRA has received in the press for the idea of increasing armed security at schools, it has been and is increasingly the position adopted by our presidents, the Justice Department, police and sheriffs departments, many school districts, and the very educators and administrators who work with our children on a daily basis. Armed security may not be the final solution, but in the gun control debate, where many call for "doing something," this would seem to be a start.  It's hard to argue the point when even Newtown is adopting the practice.

By Matt MacBradaigh. Matt is a Christian, Husband, Father, Patriot, and Conservative from the Pacific Northwest. Matt writes about the Second Amendment, Gun Control, Gun Rights, and Gun Policy issues and is published on The Bell Towers, The Brenner Brief, PolicyMic. TavernKeepers, and Vocativ.

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/2AFight  

Follow Me on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/2ndAmendmentFight
 

This article also appears on PolicyMic. (Original publication February 5, 2013).