Nebraska Lawmaker Proposes Letting School Staffers Carry Guns - FOX 42: Omaha News, Sports and Weather; kptm.com |

Nebraska Lawmaker Proposes Letting School Staffers Carry Guns

Jonathan Athens

OMAHA (KPTM)--Two weeks after a deadly school shooting in Omaha, a Nebraska lawmaker has introduced a bill that would give school boards the option to allowing school employees to carry guns.

"How many people are going to get killed if somebody starts a shooting spree before the authorities get there?" asked State Sen. Mark Christensen.

Christensen cited an incident where an off-duty security guard carrying a concealed handgun stopped a shooter from going on a rampage at a retail store.

"I think it's a crazy idea," said Mark Vasino, president of Nebraskans for Peace.

Christensen's bill has not had a first hearing. No hearing date has been set.

Forty three states including the District of Columbia ban guns in K through 12 schools, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Lawmakers in 22 have tried and failed since 2007 to strike down or challenge school bans, according to the Brady Center, a gun control advocacy group.