Yakwoman said:
I heard through the grapevine that the metal detectors weren't working. How sad is that?
Yakwoman
Actually, the reports I saw indicated that the security guard he killed was at the metal detector. I don't think it would have made a difference if it was working or not.
Which raises the question.. If a gun is detected on a student with one of those detectors, is the student NOW armed, inside the school, with unarmed security moving at him to the accompanyment of alarm buzzers, etc.?
Seems to me that the situation forces the person to act immediately, and assuming that they were in full knowledge that they were carrying a gun into a school, they're already intending to do the "worst case scenario."
That removes all possibility of doubt in the mind of the aggressor.. there's simply no time for second thoughts and they have to react immediately. Is there a better way to handle the issue?
It's horrible to think that in a line of children, one is armed and suddenly fighting because they've been discovered. All the other kids in the immediate vicinity are in heightened danger, and the conflict becomes a certainty because there's no other option for the aggressor.
I know it may seem silly, but in my opinion, the metal detector needs to be immediately followed by a short little containment path, where the detector and path are gated.
Or heck, put the detector into a turnstyle. If it triggers, the turnstyle essentially traps the subject right there.
The other interesting thing is that the whole event took ten minutes to play out. From the time he shot the guard to the time he shot himself.. ten minutes.