Another school shooting ended with low casualties thanks to immediate armed response

On Saturday, April 23, an 18 year-old coward opened fire with a rifle on students leaving prom at his high school alma mater in Antigo, Wisconsin. Two victims sustained non-life threatening injuries.

The media initially ran with the typical articles about how the attacker had been bullied, etc. (his mother told the Associated Press that she hopes the tragedy “shines light on bullying and how deeply it affects people.”), but the national conversation died out pretty quickly, mainly because the attacker only managed to cause the death of one person - himself.

The coward didn't achieve the "high score" he likely desired, or the notoriety these cowards so often crave, thanks to the quick response of a law enforcement officer who was already on scene. The officer engaged the attacker and stopped the threat.

This incident proves, just as did the Arapahoe High School shooting in Centennial, Colorado in 2013 and the Madison Jr./Sr. High School shooting in Butler Co., Ohio earlier this year, having an armed presence on the scene when the attack begins can drastically reduce the attacker's ability to carry out his plans.

Not every school district can afford to employ officers at every event. But let's not let money be a barrier that keeps us from protecting our kids.

Click here to visit the website of Buckeye Firearms Foundation's FASTER Saves Lives program - the groundbreaking, nonprofit program that gives educators practical violence response training. Classes are provided at NO COST to your school district.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.