Andy McGill and Greg Johnson, the West Liberty-Salem high school and middle school principals, relived how they entered the school’s bathroom that day to help a student who had been shot twice.
A few feet away, they recognized the shooter, who was also a student. The student apologized and put down his gun after one of the principals asked him to.
Following the shooting, the school implemented new security measures such as bulletproofed glass, better window exits and a school resource officer. However, they made the choice not to arm teachers or staff members.
Battiste asked the principals whether they wished they had a gun during that moment. The answer was no..
From our reporting in 2022, school districts such as Beavercreek, Springboro, Oakwood, Kettering, Miamisburg, Northmont, Vandalia-Butler, Huber Heights, Piqua and Centerville did not plan to arm staff.
Part of a resolution by the Dayton Public Schools in the same year said “the presence of firearms would create a dangerous environment in our schools and threaten the lives and safety of students and staff.”
Many schools have utilized measures including security cameras and locking doors, having visitor passes for people who aren’t students or staff, hotlines for people to report tips about shootings and trying to cut down on bullying and insecurity at school also help keep students safe” instead.
Other schools emphasized strong ties with local police departments and SROs as a way to combat school shootings. Counseling and mental health resources are in place as well.
According to the CBS repryt, 15 states allow teachers and personnel to carry guns on campuses, including Ohio.
Ohio passed a new law in 2022 that allows teachers to carry weapons in schools if registered with the Ohio School Safety and Crisis Center, through the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Battiste also visited the Mad River Local School District, which allows at least 20 teachers to have guns.
Mad River Superintendent Chad Wyen publicly carries a gun and keeps it in a safe. He said they keep guns in safes to prevent “unauthorized access” and to protect schools as “police cannot always make it in time.”
One Mad River teacher, who spoke to CBS News anonymously to protect their identity as a staff member who is authorized to be armed, said if they were faced with a school shooter, “...that student is not my student and they are now a murderer and I am stopping a threat and that is to save other lives.”
She added that while she understands the concerns regarding guns on campuses, she sees it as a a tool to protect people.
CBS News reported that “over the last year, the number of school districts in Ohio that allow staff to be armed quadrupled, with 14% of the state’s districts now participating,” according to the Ohio School Safety Center.
The numbers went up from 22 districts as of March 2022 to 86 districts as of November 2024, the report said.
According to the CBS Evening News report, there have been at least 109 school shootings in the United States this year, with at least 44 deaths in K through 12 schools.
For Ohio, from 1966 to July 22, 2024, there have been at least 134 school shootings, according to Statista.
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