Fayetteville residents weigh in on arming-teachers debate

FAYETTEVILLE, NC (WTVD) -- Arming teachers on school grounds is a hot topic nationwide. Lawmakers in both Tennessee and Florida have already taken steps toward allowing teachers to carry weapons. North Carolina lawmakers are considering a similar proposal, and some parents in Cumberland County weighed in.

"I'm all for it - 100 percent," said Shannon Harsh, who is a mother of two children. "If teachers are able to carry a gun, I think it would give the children better odds."

In the wake of the Parkland school shooting in Florida, arming teachers has been at the forefront of many conversations. Could teachers save the lives of children if they carry weapons?

"Arming a teacher is not the answer," said LaTanya Adams, who is also a mom of two. "Those are not the type of things I want Mark and Hannah to be thinking about when they go to school. They love school. It's a safe place for them."

One Fayetteville lawyer spoke to ABC11 about the liability involved in arming teachers.

"Whether you arm a law enforcement officer or teacher, and they use the weapon to reduce the threat, we'd think that was wonderful, but if they accidentally create a student casualty, school boards would be very concerned about that," Gregg Illikainen said.

Illikainen gave plenty of scenarios for the North Carolina General Assembly to consider. He said putting weapons in schools would require laws be modified like schools being gun-free zones.

"Right now, all a teacher is signing up for is how many of their students are passing their grades, so this is asking a lot," Illikainen said.