'Gun free' schools are magnets for 'bad people': Trump
US President Donald Trump has reiterated his proposal to arm school teachers as a great deterrent against mass shootings, describing "gun free" schools as a "magnet" for criminals.
In the backdrop of last week's deadly school shooting in Florida, Trump suggested that arming teachers "would solve the problem instantly."
"Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches would solve the problem instantly, before police arrive. GREAT DETERRENT!" Trump wrote in a series of posts on Twitter early on Thursday.
At a White House meeting late Wednesday with survivors of a shooting rampage at a Florida high school that killed 17 people, Trump suggested arming a select group of teachers to deter mass shootings.
Survivors of the Florida school shooting have spearheaded protests to push lawmakers to take stronger measures against guns.
"I never said 'give teachers guns' like was stated on Fake News @CNN &@NBC," Trump tweeted.
"What I said was to look at the possibility of giving 'concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience - only the best. 20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to... immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions.
"Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A 'gun free' school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!"
Trump, who is a Republican, has backed the US gun lobby.
He, himself, has been criticized for receiving millions of dollars in donations from the gun lobby, namely the National Rifle Association (NRA), to garner support to the group.
On February 14, 17 students and school staff were killed and 16 more were injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who fired some 100 shots using an AR-15 assualt rifle.
The tragic event revived the ongoing gun control debate in the country.
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