Is it realistic to believe that a teacher could effectively defend against an active shooter, using an AR-15, armed with only a handgun?

She only has to hit him once

The teachers job would not be to seek out and engage the shooter....Rather to continue to stay in the classroom and use the pistol to protect the children if the need arises. Now a lot of former soldiers are teachers in local schools(near Ft. Bragg) and some of them are more than capable of engaging targets with a pistol....You don't have to go face to face....But you could ambush the bastard.

Asking teachers to be armed & take defensive handgun training is like asking your plumber to fix your car's transmission. It just does not really work unless the individual has past COMBAT military training and served in a MOS that constantly honed their skills to take on active shooters. There are so many retired cops and retired Soldiers & Marines that could fill the role of armed security protecting our most precious countries resource, Our children. This would not only make the schools safer, but would free up cops to do what they are supposed to be doing which is fighting crime. It all comes down to money. School districts would rather have one cop at the school then pay 2 or 3 armed security guards and save money. This is an absolute disgrace, considering so many have already died senselessly. Shame on all the politicians and school administrators for allowing this and face lawsuits rather than protect our kids. So the answer is it is not realistic. Put extreme pressure on the politicians and the school boards or keep filling body bags for the innocent children. Also, it is not a gun problem as much as it is a mental health epidemic, and you can blame doctors and big pharma for that. Many of these shooters all have one thing in common. They were either on or recently stopped taking psychotropic drugs prescribed by a doctor for depression or related mental issues.

My opinion is that most teachers have no business playing security because I believe it will not work if actually called upon. If they really care about their students there will be hesitation when confronting a student and if you hesitate, you are dead. Also, if they do actually respond their teaching career is over. And then there is the potential for a teacher to be breaking up a fight and losing their sidearm to one of the hormonal students and that may not end well. If we really think we need security at schools then how about using trained professionals and not trained teachers who moonlight as security.


Adding a bit. I have been through the range of firearms classes (military, armed security, CCP) and the last two are not comparable to the first. I am not sure a teacher with a CCP is a good thing to rely on if the desire is to minimize colateral damage other than just a potential deterent.

I see any response to a given situation has to be looked at with 'ODDS of Success' (OOS) in mind.

Scenario 1: Hallway, well lit, 200' feet long. Threat at one end with AR-15, and teacher at the other end with 9 mm. ODDS OF SUCCESS (OOS): 2% on a very, very good day. OUTCOME: Gunman continues rampage, teacher down.

Scenario 2: Hallway, well lit, Threat (from above) 20' away from teacher (from above)... OOS: 30% on a pretty good day. OUTCOME: Both go down. Gunman stopped.

Scenario 3: Teacher in a classroom behind a heavy wooden door with 9 mm. Gunman kicking and shooting at the lock with his AR-15 breeches the classroom. Depending on the teacher.... OOS is pretty high. OUTCOME: Gunman down, Teacher OK.

Scenario 4 (most realistic) : Gunman with AR-15 in school with 20 teachers armed with 9 MM. OOS - pretty darned high. OUTCOME: Gunman DOWN, Teachers lose 1.

Scenario 5: Gunman with AR-15 ANYWHERE in the school, NO teachers ARMED. OOS: 0%. Mass Casualties. Status quo for America today.

Where is the logic?! WHY does Scenario 5 with the LEAST amount of OOS reflect the SOP in our country?!

Based on Past incidents I’m going to say yes! Past incidents that when the shooter saw a defender with a gun they ran off....some shooting them self. The question still remains WHICH teachers should be armed. Here in TX I know a majority of them are already licensed...cut in 3/4 of those that ACTUALLY go shoot on their off time. I’m for it but it needs to have strong guidelines

YES!

It is a guarantee that a rifle will beat a rock. An unarmed teacher certainly has less chance than an armed one. I would have to say that it would depend almost entirely upon the shooter and the teacher. Thank goodness these active shooters have zero training. I believe it more than possible for someone with training to take out someone with a semi automatic rifle. My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. Just substitute weapon for rifle. A calm, deliberate, accurate individual armed with a decent sidearm should have a very decent chance to take out a shooter who is jacked up and skittish. Thus the old saying: the secret is to keep your wits while those around you are losing theirs.

Agree with many previous comments. Yes, I think it’s possible and realistic that an armed teacher can stop a suspect with an AR-15. Given the opportunity, a prepared teacher with a hand gun can drop a bad guy quickly. I don’t even believe there is a law in the land that would convict a teacher for shooting a bad guy in the back. If the bad guy is carrying an AR-15, the threat is there. The objective is to save the lives of others. Is arming the teachers the answer? I don’t don’t. However, if it were me, I’d rather have the availability to shoot back rather than do nothing. I’d rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6. Of course there’s going to be fear and panic. The only person that never showed fear or panic was Clint Eastwood. That’s not realistic. What has changed in this country,(agin), is “WE”. As a society, WE have created a MONSTER. I have been raised aroun guns since the age of 10. 21 years in the military handling guns and have been carrying a handgun on my 6 for 10 years. Never had a problem and hope I never do. I am, however, secure in the knowledge that I have the ability to return fire if needed. I would also recommend to ANY teacher in school they may be carrying during school to TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN. All the training in the world may not make you a winner but, the life you save, may be your own.

I see Your point