After school shooting, Florida leaders propose new gun laws
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s governor announced plans Friday to put more armed guards in schools and to make it harder for young adults and some with mental illness to buy guns, responding to days of intense lobbying from survivors of last week’s shooting at a Florida high school.
Gov. Rick Scott unveiled his school safety proposals as teachers returned for the first time to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School since the shooting nine days ago that killed 17 people. While criticized by some as not going far enough, the measures were significant in a state that hasn’t passed any type of gun control since Republicans took control of state government in 1999.
The shooting sparked an intense push to restrict access to assault rifles fueled by student activists who swarmed the state capitol demanding concrete gun control measures.
President Donald Trump said repeatedly Friday that he favoured arming teachers to protect students, an idea many educators rejected out of hand.