Quick, armed response is best solution

Lately, there seems to be a lot of front page news coverage regarding school shootings, protests and gun law changes, but I find it very interesting that an incident that happened last week only appeared on Page 4 of your paper and received about 15 minutes of TV coverage.

I am relating to the school shooting in Great Mills, Maryland, where a shooter entered school, shot and killed a female (she died March 23) but the school resource officer at that school shot and killed the perpetrator - as opposed to how the SRO responded in Parkland, Florida. It could have been worse.

Here are some facts:

During an active shooter event, on average, a person is shot every 10 seconds that the shooter remains unmolested from effective physical resistance of any type.

A very effective physical form of resistance is accurate return of lethal projectiles in the shortest time frame possible.

Typical LE response to arrive on scene is three minutes after being dispatched due to a 911 call. It's simple math. Eighteen people shot (three minutes), injured and/or killed in the three minutes it takes an LE to arrive on scene.

The school shooting in Maryland seems to have occurred just before school began, so a "lockdown" is not too practical, but having an immediate armed response already on scene, stopped the shooter within seconds, thereby minimizing casualties and loss of life.

In addition, it's also believed that perpetrators, if they hear return fire, will try to escape. The mere fact of return fire would be beneficial.

What is it these protesters and students don't understand? Bad people do not follow the law. The easiest place for someone to shoot people is a "gun-free zone." Train and arm the teachers if they are willing. Have SROs armed with rifles.

Harold Mierisch

Huntley