After deadly school shootings at Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Parkland, many states mandated School Resource Officers or provided funding for districts to hire them. Lawmakers also considered arming teachers. Florida now requires a law enforcement officer or trained school guardian in every school.
By examining every recorded incident where one or more people was intentionally shot in a school building during the school day, or where a perpetrator came to school heavily armed with the intent of firing indiscriminately, we examine the association between the presence of an armed officer on scene and the severity of shootings in K-12 (kindergarten through 12th grade) schools.
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Authors: Jillian Peterson, James Densley, and Gina Erickson