Move to place assault rifles in US schools draws strong reaction

A move by North Carolina police sheriff to arm school resource officers with assault rifles is meeting incredulous reactions from gun reform advocates. Buddy Harwood, the police sheriff has said that he felt obliged to do so after shootout at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which saw 19 children being killed by agunman.

“Having just a deputy armed with a handgun isn’t enough to stop these animals,” Harwood said in a video statement he posted to Facebook in June.

“My school resource officers will not have to wait, retreat, or have to leave the situation to get the weaponry to deal with that threat.”

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Local media reported that the sheriff's plan involved military-style weapons to be locked in undisclosed location in county's schools.

“I think it is absolute insanity. This won’t save a single child, or stop a single unknown and potential future act of violence,” said Fred Guttenberg, as quoted by The Guardian. Guttenberg's own daughter was killed in shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018

“However, it will immediately help to sell more guns and make this sheriff more popular with the gun lobby that he is hoping to be a champion with,” he said.

Right to bear arms has been enshrined in the US Constitution. Each time a school shootout, such as theone in Texas, takes place, there is increased clamour in the US for gun controls. But such efforts are always opposed by the politically influential gun lobby in the country.

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