A Florida school has hired two former combat veterans to protect students in the event of an active shooter on its premises, the Herald-Tribune reports.
Former U.S. Army infantryman Harold Verdecia, 39, has been hired by the Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto, Florida. Verdecia, who completed tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, now patrols the school’s hallways with a “Bullpup” rifle and a pistol in case of an active shooter.
“When seconds count, [local police] are only a few minutes away,” said MSA Principle Bill Jones.
State legislators passed a law requiring that schools have armed security after the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland last February.
“You don’t walk around with an assault rifle strapped to your chest in a school. That is not the normal policy of police agencies,” said retired police chief Walt Zalisko, who now owns a consulting business for law enforcement and an international investigative group.
“His job is to protect the kids, and he can do that with a handgun, but it is also to form positive relationships,” Zalisko added. “Develop information on who may have drugs or weapons. There is a lot involved.”
“Assault rifles, whether you are for them or against them, are prolific in our society,” said Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler. “Lord knows how many assault-type rifles are out there. So why would we not want the school guardian to have parity with that potential threat?”
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