GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Three schools here are considering arming their school resource officers with a Colt AR-15 rifle to harden response to a possible active shooter.
Gainsville Police Chief Brian Kelly has been giving presentations to the school governance councils at Gainsville High School, Wood’s Mill High School, and Gainsville Middle School. The middle school’s council has voted to support the initiative.
Under the plan, a Colt 6920 M4 carbine would be placed inside a safe at each of the schools. The SRO would be the only one who could access the safe with a biometric security lock, reports the Gainsville Times.
The initiative is a response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown and an attempted shooting at DeKalb County’s McNair Discovery Learning Academy.