Donald Trump suggest arming teachers to defend pupils due to deadly shootings in schools

President Donald Trump suggested  that arming teachers and school staff members could provide security against events like the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School , in which 17 students and school workers were killed.

"If you had a teacher who was adept with the firearm, they could end the attack very quickly," Trump said at the White House, during a meeting with students and parents from the school.

"This would be obviously only for people who were very adept at handling a gun," Trump added. "It's called concealed carry, where a teacher would have a concealed gun on them. They'd go for special training and they would be there and you would no longer have a gun-free zone."

Trump clarified his comments , stressing that he said "to look at the possibility of" arming teachers with military backgrounds or special training  "only the best." 

"Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this," he added. "Far more assets at much less cost than guards."

Despite Trump's stipulations, the idea of arming teachers and other school staff was widely panned especially by veterans with experience using high-powered weapons and firing under duress.

"Shooting under stress is extremely difficult. Even for the most well-trained shooters," Jay Kirell, an Afghanistan veteran who has written about difficulties veterans face in civilian life, tweeted. "A teacher is not going to be able to do this. Cops & soldiers literally get paid to do this & most of them can't shoot accurately under stress."

"Not because they suck, but because it's nearly impossible to hit a target in one shot when pumped full of adrenaline," Kirell added. "And if you're in a school with a shooter and dozens of children, if you're not shooting accurately you're just creating crossfire."

Data compiled by the New York City Police Department underscores the difficulty of firing accurately in challenging situations. 

In 2005, NYPD officers intentionally fired their guns at someone 472 times, hitting their mark 82 times. In 2006, New York police fired under the same circumstances 364 times, hitting their target 103 times. That same year, Los Angeles police fired 67 times, recording 27 hits.

Other veterans responded directly to Trump, dismissing the idea of arming teachers as inappropriate and dangerous.