Trump panel recommends guns in schools
AFP, Washington
A safety panel set up by US President Donald Trump in the wake of numerous school shootings recommended Tuesday that schools consider arming staff, using veterans as guards and reversing Obama-era guidelines.
The Federal Commission on School Safety panel, led by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, was set up after the February massacre in Parkland, Florida, when a former student shot dead 17 people, sparking mass gun control protests.
The commission rejected calls to increase the minimum age required for gun purchases, arguing in its 180-page report that most school shooters obtain their weapons from family members or friends.
Instead, it suggested arming staff -- even teachers in some circumstances -- for the sake of effectively and immediately responding to violence.
School districts where police responses could be slower, such as rural districts, may benefit in particular, the commission said. It also recommended education authorities hiring military veterans and former police officers who can also serve as highly effective educators.
