Another deadly school shooting spree [With Comment By John]

A student at Santa Fe High School in Texas killed ten people today and wounded ten more, according to reports. The attacker used two guns — a shotgun and a .38 revolver. Both were owned legally by his father, according to the same reports.

One of the wounded was a retired police officer hired by the school as a “resources officer.” He confronted the killer, who shot him. Another resources officer also engaged the killer. This occurred early on and is thought to have limited the bloodshed.

I believe armed school personnel are the key to ending the rash of school shootings because their ability to thwart shooters will deter these losers from attacking and, if not, prevent them from achieving their deadly aim. However, as I wrote yesterday after an attack in Illinois was thwarted by a police officer assigned to the school, it may take multiple armed “good guys” to provide safety and deterrence. Today’s shootings suggest that two might not be enough.

The erosion of traditional values, including respect for life, coupled perhaps with the stress associated with rapid societal change, especially in technology, has made every school in America a potential killing field. Shooting up schools seems almost like a fad among a certain kind of deeply alienated, amoral misfit. It’s time to recognize this reality and to combat it directly.

Since schools are now potential combat zones, we must make sure that those charged with protecting students have the firepower needed to win the battles at their inception. In addition to armed personnel, metal detectors are key.

There are additional measures that can and probably should be taken, but superior firepower and metal detectors are prerequisites. Parents should demand them of the schools their children attend and strongly consider sending their kids elsewhere if the demand is not met.

JOHN adds: Bearing in mind that early reports are often wrong, a few additional points may be worth mentioning.

* A second person has been taken into custody and is described as a possible accomplice. So this might be a Columbine-type situation. Time will tell.

* The murderer, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, reportedly told authorities that he had intended to commit suicide, but found that “he didn’t have the courage to commit the suicide.” You can supply your own comment, mine is unprintable.

* Multiple explosive devices (e.g., pressure cookers) have been found in and around the school. It isn’t clear whether some of the injuries were caused by such devices, or whether all the victims were shot.

* Democrats wasted no time climbing on their favorite hobby horses. The Mayor of Dallas tweeted:

What, exactly, does he want Congress to do? Confiscate all shotguns and revolvers? And pressure cookers? I honestly have no idea. There must be a special place in Hell for politicians who try to take advantage of human suffering when they have absolutely nothing constructive to offer.

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