How a western North Carolina sheriff’s plan to stock schools with AR-15s could impact your children :: WRAL.com

TEACHERS ABOUT WHAT DREW THEM >> BACK TO SCHOOL IS UPON US, THAT DIDN’T SEEM TO BACK TO SCHOOL OPEN, THOUGH, DID IT? HEY, EVERYBODY, I’M DAN HAGGERTY. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. SOMEONE DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT TONIGHT BECAUSE THE TOPIC IT’S SIMPLY TOO BIG, OK? I’M TALKING ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA SHERIFF WHO WANTS TO STOP SCHOOLS WITH AR FIFTEENS OVER A LOT ABOUT THE STORY. THERE’S SO MUCH I THINK IT’S BEING TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. REPORTED WITHOUT ENOUGH INFORMATION. SO LET’S TRY TO FIX THAT. BUT I CAN’T DO THAT 4 MINUTES OR 8 MINUTES, FRANKLY, I THINK WOULD TAKE AN ENTIRE SHOW. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO BE INSTEAD. LET’S BREAK IT DOWN THROUGHOUT THE WEEK EVERY NIGHT. WE’LL CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN ADD TO IT AS WE GO ALONG AND MOVE FORWARD. AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN EMAIL ME, DAN AT WRAL DOT COM OR FIND ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, THAT SORT OF THING. JUST SEARCH DAN HAGGERTY WITH THAT. LET’S GET RIGHT TO THE PLAN FROM MADISON COUNTY SHERIFF BUDDY HARWOOD. HE WENT ON FACEBOOK AND HE LAID THE WHOLE THING OUT. EVERY SCHOOL WILL GET A GUN SAFE AND THAT GUN SAFE WILL BE LOCATED IN AN UNDISCLOSED PART OF THE BUILDING AND ONLY THE SCHOOL’S RESOURCE OFFICER. THE WE’LL HAVE ACCESS TO THE AIR 15. IT’S INSIDE THAT THAT WAY. IF THERE IS A SCHOOL SHOOTING, THE OFFICER ISN’T OUTGUNNED. HERE’S HOW THE SHERIFF PUT IT. WE’VE SOME TIME SAYING THAT HAVING JUST AN EMPTY ARMED WITH A HANDGUN. >> IS IT ENOUGH TO STOP THESE ANIMALS? EVEN IF YOU DON’T KNOW A TON ABOUT GUNS, I’M SURE YOU’VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. >> TO THE DISCUSSION AROUND ASSAULT-STYLE RIFLES, THEY’RE STRONGER, THEIR DEADLY OR THEY HOLD MORE BULLETS THAN WHAT POLICE CARRY ON THEIR BELT, THEIR SERVICE WEAPON. THAT BLOCKER BERETTA OR SICK IS SIMPLY NO MATCH FOR AN AR STYLE WEAPON IN A SHOOT OUT. IT’S LIKE A HOUSE CAT VERSUS A LION. IF BOTH CAN KILL YOU. AND THAT’S WHAT PARENTS ARE WORRIED ABOUT, RIGHT? SOMEONE HURTING GOD FORBID, KILLING THEIR KID AT SCHOOL PHRASED THIS WAY BY SHERIFF ARE WHAT? >> THE PAST FEW WEEKS WE’VE HAD SITUATIONS GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOLS ALL AROUND US. TRAGEDY GOING ON EVERY DAY. YOU TURN THE WE’VE GOT SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SHOT. SOMEBODY HAS BEEN STABBED. SOMEBODY HAS BEEN MURDERED RIGHT? >> WOW. GOOD LORD. I IT. THE NEWS DOES TEND TO BE FILLED WITH BAD NEWS ON A PRETTY REGULAR BASIS WHEN IT COMES TO SCHOOLS. I UNDERSTAND THE FEAR. I KNOW HOW PARENTS FEEL RIGHT NOW GETTING READY TO SEND OUR BOYS TO KINDERGARTEN WHERE STATISTICALLY, OKAY, THEY WILL BE SAFER THAN JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE ELSE. THEY GO. THE CDC HAS LOOKED INTO THIS. THEY’VE STUDIED IT. AND WITH HOMICIDES AS THE SECOND-LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH BEHIND ACCIDENTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, AGES 5 TO 18 SCHOOL IS BASICALLY A REFUGE COMPARED TO BEING AT HOME OR OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE ROUGHLY 98% OF THE BAD STUFF HAPPENS. THE STUDY FOUND THAT LESS THAN 2% OF THESE HOMICIDES OCCUR ON SCHOOL GROUNDS ON THE WAY TO FROM SCHOOL. >> OR AT OR ON THE WAY TO OR FROM A SCHOOL-SPONSORED EVENT. NOW, IF YOU’RE THINKING 2% SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY BIG NUMBER. THAT’S FAIR. BUT WHEN IT COMES, YOUR KIDS BEING STABBED, SHOT AND MURDERED OR RATE TO MY GOD. SCHOOL IS WHERE IT’S LEAST LIKELY TO HAPPEN STATISTICALLY. AND THAT INCLUDES MASS SHOOTINGS AND OTHER INCIDENTS INVOLVING ASSAULT RIFLES. SO BASED ON THAT RATIONALE, SHOULD WE PUT AR 15 SHAPES ALL OVER TOWN WHERE THE THREAT IS TECHNICALLY GREATER. SO POLICE ALWAYS HAVE ONE NEARBY. THINK OF IT THAT WAY. AND I WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS TOPIC. EMAIL ME, DAN AT WRAL DOT COM. WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THERE’S STILL SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT HERE LIKE THIS SOUND BITE. FOR INSTANCE, THEY HEARD FROM A DOCTOR IN EDUCATION FROM UNC THAT RAN AT THE TIME. WITHOUT ANY FOLLOW-UP CONTEXT. >> I THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE. I REALLY THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS JUST SOME FAKE NEWS. IT’S WHAT WE CALL HARDENING IN THE SCHOOLS. AND IT’S WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN IS THAT WE’RE GOING TO HAVE IT. ACCIDENTS WITH THESE GUNS. ACCIDENTS. WE MEAN BY ACTION, IT’S LIKE SOME KIDS GOING TO CRACK THE SAFE IS THAT A REALISTIC CONCERN? THOSE QUESTIONS ARE RHETORICAL ACTUALLY ASKED HER. WE’LL GET INTO TOMORROW. BUT DON’T FORGET, I WANT YOUR