Who would you trust to protect you in a shooting incident at a school?

[Daniela1982]

A recent Convention of States Action poll (see below) reveals that most Americans believe an armed civilian is their best protection during a mass shooting event compared to other personnel, including law enforcement.

The Poll was conducted between July 7, and July 10, 2022. It sampled 1,078 respondents who are likely general election voters. The confidence rating of the poll was 95% and the margin of error was 2.9%.

In total, 41.8% of respondents stated that an armed citizen would be their best protection during a mass shooting event. The next most common response was local law enforcement at 25.1%.

The Daily Caller reports that a clear partisan divide exists in the polling data. Over 70% of Republicans believe that an armed civilian would be their most reliable source of protection. Only 16.3% of Democrats felt the same way.

SEE ALSO: Robbery Suspect on a Crime Spree Terminated by Armed Customer at St. Charles QuikTrip
Almost two-thirds of respondents indicated that they were confident local law enforcement and/or government officials could stop an active shooter. Approximately, 35% indicated they were “not very confident,” and 26.9% said there were “not confident at all” in state and local law enforcement.

States Action President Mark Meckler explained in a press release that “police failures in the recent shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, may have influenced respondents.”

“Americans watched in horror as an active shooter was permitted to rampage through a school while the police stood outside and did absolutely nothing,” observed Meckler.

“Over and over again, citizens are given the clear message that — when it comes to protecting loved ones — you’re on your own. At the same time, we’re told guns are the problem and we should give up our right to self-defense,” Meckler said.

Police

armed teacher

school resource officer

school crossing guard

your answer

[hyperben]

not a hope in hell, the only person you can trust is yourself, a random guy who played call of duty instead of working through university or an apprenticeship or building skills probably isn't going to be a safe bet in a crisis like that.

the chance of an armed teacher, crossing guard or some other member of staff going nuts and being the shooter negates their value in the position.

Schools need to look at ways that kids can easily escape shooters, multiple entry/exit points, warning systems and monitoring. Really though, as a country, this issue needs a better resolution, it needs to be identified WHY some kids (and adults) turn to shooting up a school, understanding the reasons behind them and addressing them, there are a number of patterns to these events and identifying likely candidates and getting them the help they need before they even start looking at going on a rampage an an option. Sadly though, social and health care for prevention appear to be pretty much frowned upon, its nobody's fault, we have all been fooled to thinking anyone who needs social care is weak and deserves what they have got coming...

back to the question, who to trust... myself and the circle of people I know.

[Oigit]

In general I'd rather have a school resource officer or armed teachers rather then simply depend on the police. Because the simple truth is that police can't teleport and someone with a gun or a knife can do a lot of damage before the police even get there. Also no one expects things to go south tell they do. So having people on site ready to respond if they do can help minimize the damage done before the cops show.

That and I have already been in a life or death situation and had to call 911. I had a 2nd job at a gas station working 3rd shift and the place was robbed on my shift. I managed to protect myself from the guy robbing the place with a large knife and my left arm was slashed open. I did wind up with 17 stitches in my arm and minimal long term damage. But if the guy had managed cut me open or stab me in a vital area there is no telling if the police and ambulance would have gotten there before I bleed out. Because it took close to 13 min before everyone showed up after I called.

Due to that a other experiences i have had in my life, I'm not a fan of the idea of simply depending on the police to keep me and others safe. Because you simply never know that something is going to happen tell it does.

[Anonymous]

When I was in high school, it definitely would have been the school resource officer. He was ex police, but this guy was hard core. He looked like he ran 15 miles before school and tackled a few people for practice before breakfast. Nice dude, but he didn't mess around and took his job VERY seriously when it came to safety. I don't think in the four years I was there, we ever had any serious incidents violent or otherwise, but of course I attended school a long time ago when we were only just dealing with the Columbine shooting. Seems like since then, all hell as broken loose.

[Elliegirl]

I would trust myself to be smart, evasive, and run like hell! Can’t depend on the police to act fast enough based on recent history and we didn’t have armed teachers or security officers when I was in high school.

[NamerOfStars]

The people who are trained and equipped for it. How stupid ARE Republicans, that they think a group with no formal or standardized training or gear is going to *reliably* do better? A veteran green beret? Okay, sure. But Bob from the bearing factory? Who spends his nights watching football and his days at a job so repetitive that his reflexes have atrophied into near-nonexistence?

Then again, I suppose logic is too much to expect from people when they're constantly being told "the average citizen having a gun is too dangerous!" by those who support a senile evil overlord having the world's largest nuclear arsenal.

[Plinko]

They reliably DO do better than police officers.

[NamerOfStars]

@Plinko Do you have a single fact to back that up?

[Plinko]

Yea. Unfortunately, I can't post links or images yet, so you'll have to Google "number of defensive gun uses per year u. s." yourself.

Defensive/legal gun use is just as frequent as offensive/illegal gun use.

[NamerOfStars]

@Plinko It'll be a cold day in hell before I use Google, buddy; you're going to need to provide some actual EVIDENCE if you want to be taken seriously. For example, here's the active shooter in the US in 2021 report from the FBI: www.fbi.gov/.../...dents-in-the-us-2021-052422.pdf
It says that of the 61 incidents last year, 14 were killed by police, 11 committed suicide, 30 were arrested, one died in a car crash, and one was still at large. That leaves a whopping FOUR taken down by armed citizens. Four VS 44. Doing one eleventh as well is not "doing better than".

And legal gun use is not as frequent as illegal; it's enormously more common. That doesn't mean it's a substitute for proper policing.

[Plinko]

Well, again, I can't post links or studies. But, stopping mass shooters after they're classified as such, doesn't erase the people who stopped a gunman before we hit 4+ victims.

[NamerOfStars]

@Plinko Very true. But again, police are trained in how to identify and non-lethally subdue a person who's about to start shooting. Relying on "possessing a gun" as a substitute isn't going to lead to fewer shootings, it's going to lead to MORE- killing someone who HASN'T killed anybody yet makes you a shooter who killed somebody.

That's secondary, however- if you're going to claim that prevented massacres can be counted, and that *random citizens* somehow do better than TRAINED POLICE, you're going to need some actual facts. Can't post links? Fine- tell me who said what, and if possible, when. Because that's a more ridiculous claim than the Earth being flat.

[Plinko]

Sorry for long response, I'm at work.

Crimeresearch dot org

2018 report analyzing the fbi statistics from 2014-2017 indicate a single civilian was responsible for stopping roughly 87-89% of active shooters if boiled down to the instances where such a carrier was present with one (or two, I forget) cases in which the civilian was killed by the shooter.

The response time of a person (s) that were at the scene of a shooter when they started is infinitely faster than police receiving a call (obvious) and having to travel to scene.

It could be claimed that police stopping rate is 100%, but this ignores casualty rate and manpower considerations in a way that I'm not sure is quantifiable. For example, if there is a lone 'good guy' and he is shot, the shooting obviously continues in a way that police with say, 8 officers, might noy.

In the fbi 2016-2017 study, over the course of 50 incidents, 13 police officers were killed and 20 were wounded with 943 casualties.

"New FBI report claims that 8% of active shooter attacks during 2014-17 were stopped or mitigated by concealed handgun permit holders, but misses at least half the cases." -Article to search for.

[ChrisMaster69]

Just let them die, face it those kids you see on the TV on the latest shooting or accidental shooting, are the price paid for owning a gun.

No one is ever going to change things.

Who are more likely to go on shootings sprees

US Citizens - general public.

Teachers

School resource officer

School Crossing guard.

It’s not like anyone apart from families cares about other people being killed, as long as they can still own a weapon, who really gives a fuck who gets shot or how many.

’hey Sally you see in the news another 5 school kids shot’

’ damn Brenda, that reminds me I need to buy some more 9mm today’

[HighValue]

I'd trust that I would be best protecting myself. I just wish that the classrooms were organized differently. The teacher's desk needs to be near the classroom door so they are close enough to stop a shooter. (shooters are usually high school age or younger, therefore quite weak compared to an average adult and can be overpowered even by average male teachers). Teacher's desks are often stuck at the opposite corner of a classroom from the door because that is where the technology hook ups are located (outlets put into the wall for internet, the projector, etc.) Just switching that one feature of a classroom could help.

[Crafteroon]

Legislation that prevents assault weapons from public and healthcare programs that support people during emotional turmoil so it never reaches the point of a shooting incident.

I trust it because it kept me safe during my school years. Then again people around me aren't so terribly insecure about their manhood that losing a weapon meant for the military is more scary for them than school children filled with bullet holes.

[Plinko]

Teacher. Easy. You mean to tell me, the bad guy has to breach a fatal funnel (doorway) to reach the targets, one of which is armed? Then, he has to get through every other armed teacher in the building to try and hit a target?

Easy clap. Shooter is pretty fucked here.
-Signed, Former USMC infantry.

[Koalamate]

I have always been confused about this but don't American schools search bags and stuff at the entrance? How are there somany shootings.

Also it's not the polices job to be a security guard at a school.

Schools should all have at least 1 private security guard hired to patrol the school.

[Surely]

In PA the schools are gun free zones. So no law abiding criminal would be able to perform a school shooting and no law abiding citizen would have a gun to stop a school shooting!

I like to have control over my own destiny when ever possible! Hence I do have a CCW permit!

[Daniela1982]

You think criminals obey gun free zones? Like what?

[Surely]

@daniela1982. Sarcasm Daniela! Sarcasm!

[Likes2drive]

Probably the teacher since they are already there , they could stop it the quickest and they care the most about the students , that’s why some teachers got killed shielding the students from gun fire

[exitseven]

Batman

There is only one guy I would trust.

[Daniela1982]

They are both dead. Batman and Robin got run over by a steam roller and are now Flatman and Ribbon.

[exitseven]

hahahhaha

[NathanDavis]

an uncle of mine... retired and former SWAT officer/sergeant, technically an armed and trained civilian

[Daniela1982]

Yes, but would he be available when you need him?

[NathanDavis]

he could have made it to that school... before the 77 full minutes all those 360 armed grown ups decided to wait for whatever messed up reason, against one kid with a gun

[motownplayer2000]

Myself if I was able to carry on campus. I don’t trust anyone else. Damn sure don’t trust the cops after that bullsh*t in Texas.

[Chazmatazz269]

Me, my family, my friends. And i wouldn’t hesitate to shoot cops who tried to stop me either. Aiding and abetting is a crime even if you’re a cop.

[MCheetah]

E: Myself. That's why I spent the extra $60 on a laser sight.

[Anno2]

baldwin, he'd accidentally kill anyone trespassing

[spartan55]

I did a write in vote for the lunch lady.

[Daniela1982]

Just don't eat her food.

[spartan55]

Sloppy Joe... Slop sloppy Joe

[Massageman]

Either myself, or a legally armed citizen, assuming there are no police en situ.

[Daniela1982]

Remember, the police are not responsible for protecting you, which has been determined. You may have seen that at the Portland riots where they did nothing to stop looting or burning shops. We won't even mention the coward cops who let 19 people die in Texas.

[Massageman]

I know what you mean , D. That is only a reaction to the society at large: most of them just want to put in their time, grab a pension and life to tell about it. It's too bad that this thinking has displaced the original job of LE workers which is/was to protect you.

[OddBeMe]

Based on current stats, no one. If a guy gets hands on a weapon, he can kill anyone he wants.

[Daniela1982]

Unless you have one too.

[OddBeMe]

Funny, not seeing that in the stats. More guns just = more gun deaths.

[Daniela1982]

Funny how the people complain about gun deaths yet the US sends weapons to the Ukraine to cause many thousands of deaths. And it is not even our business. Bite-on says I am gong to ban guns in one breath, and in the next asks what kind of weapons can we send to our former enemies.

[TallAnon]

In the countries I've lived at, everyone would be useless until the police shows up, never heard of a school shooting there though

[msc545]

I would trust myself - certainly not the local redneck with a gun.

[Guy13]

Rent-A-Cop guy