In 2017, West Liberty-Salem High School in Salem, Ohio joined the list of schools that have experienced a shooting. The only visible scars are bullet holes in the bathroom wall, but the psychological trauma still remains.
“He later got the good news that no one died, but his mind had already processed the traumatic experience,” said Principal Greg Johnson.
In that bathroom, Johnson and fellow principal Andy McGill ran to help a student who had been shot twice, with the shooter just steps away. McGill was able to talk the shooter, another student, into putting the gun down.
After the shooting, the pair led a campaign to implement new security measures, including bulletproof glass, better window vents and a school resource officer – but they chose not to arm any staff or teachers.
Across the US, 15 states allow school personnel to carrying guns on campusAccording to Everytown, a gun safety nonprofit. Compared to last year, the number of School districts in Ohio that allow staff to be armed According to the Ohio School Safety Center, 14% of the state's districts are now participating, which has quadrupled.
Mad River Local School District, just outside Dayton, about 50 miles south of Salem, has given guns to about 20 of its teachers. Their identities are confidential as part of district policy.
Chad Wien is the superintendent at Mad River, and the only armed member of the staff whose identity is public. His gun is in a locked cabinet that is opened by a code. It was Wynne's idea to keep the guns in a safe near teachers rather than on them – a strategy to prevent unauthorized access.
“So normally, there's a live round in the chamber. We have to be prepared,” Wayne said.
He says the guns in the classrooms serve as a measure of support for the single resource officer at eight schools across the district.
“There's no way for our police to get there in time to stop it, and that's why we decided to go that route,” Wayne said.
He says, fortunately, no students have ever brought a gun to their campuses, and most parents are grateful for the added layer of protection.
One teacher, whose identity is being withheld by CBS News to comply with district safety measures, said she recognized the possibility of the shooter being a student she knows.
The teacher said, “At that point, that student is no longer my student. They're now a murderer, and I'm stopping a threat. And it's to save other people's lives.”
When asked about Protest against arming school staffShe said, “I understand why he has that belief and I understand his concerns about guns. I had similar concerns before I became comfortable with guns. It's just to protect myself or to protect other people.” Is a tool.”
And if it came to that, she said she would be “willing to die to protect a student.”
