Governor of Florida seeks gun age limit
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. • Nine days after the Florida school shooting, Gov. Rick Scott and Republican legislators announced school safety and gun restriction proposals that would ban the sale of firearms to anyone under 21.
The action came Friday as teachers returned for the first time to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School since the Valentine’s Day shooting that killed 17.
Scott, a Republican, outlined his plan at a Tallahassee news conference. In addition to banning firearm sales to anyone under 21, the governor called for a trained law enforcement officer for every school — and one for every 1,000 students at larger schools — by the time the fall 2018 school year begins.
The proposal would also strengthen gun purchase and possession restrictions for mentally ill people under the state’s Baker Act, which allows someone to be involuntarily hospitalized for up to 72 hours.
Although President Donald Trump and some Florida legislative Republicans favour arming teachers, Broward schools Superintendent Robert Runcie called that a non-starter. “I am totally against arming teachers,” he said. “They have a challenging job as it is.”
Trump told reporters Friday that schools need “offensive” capability to deter and respond to attackers.
“If they’re not gun free, if there are guns inside, held by the right people, by highly trained professionals, you’re going to see this end. It won’t be happening again. Our schools are essentially gunfree zones and that makes them very dangerous places,” the president said.
At a gathering of conservative activists, Trump said: “A teacher would have shot the hell out of him (19-year-old suspect Nikolas Cruz) before he knew what happened. I’m telling you that would work.
“These teachers love their students, and these teachers are talented with weaponry and with guns, and they (students) feel safe.”
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Thursday that Scot Peterson, the deputy on duty at the high school, waited outside the building for about four minutes without ever going in. Peterson resigned after Israel suspended him without pay.