A North Carolina sheriff said Tuesday his county is considering a plan to deploy an armed volunteer force at schools to help keep children safe in the wake of the Florida shooting massacre.
According to the Greensboro News & Record, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page and Rockingham County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rodney Shotwell are discussing the plan.
"This program is still in the development stage at this point. But I have had some good discussions with Dr. Shotwell about it," Page said, according to the News & Record. "If established, this program would act [as] an armed force multiplier to help protect our children and teachers in Rockingham County Schools against any persons that might seek to do them harm.
"Our children are our future and I believe we must do everything we can to protect them."
A 19-year-old walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last Wednesday and opened fire, killing 14 students and three staff members. More than a dozen people were wounded in the shooting.
Lawmakers nationwide have pledged to take action to curb the gun violence epidemic, whether it's through gun control measures, stricter background checks, or improved handling of mental health disorders.
President Donald Trump will hold workshops in the coming days with people impacted by gun violence. On Tuesday, he announced his opposition to bump stocks, which speed up the rate of fire for semiautomatic rifles.
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