After a 14-year-old Madison Township, Ohio, student shot two classmates Monday, anti-gunners once again called for more gun-control measures. But for those in charge of preventing such tragedies, such as Russ Fussnecker, superintendent of nearby Edgewood City Schools, soundbite “solutions” are just not enough.
Following a unanimous vote by the school board in 2013, “Any administrator in the district who has a valid [concealed-carry permit] and also goes through the Ohio Peace Officer training can carry a firearm anywhere in our district,” Fussnecker explained.
Arming faculty is only one facet of Edgewood’s security plan, but Fussnecker considers it essential and is speaking out. Unlike other strategies, which encourage students to fight back by throwing books and other items at violent assailants, an armed administrator can neutralize potential threats immediately without requiring children to put themselves at risk.
For the veteran administrator, school security far outweighs the need to appear politically correct. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure students are safe,” he said.
