Georgia state school superintendent, Richard Woods, is advocating for increased spending on school security measures in the wake of a school shooting that claimed the lives of four individuals at Apalachee High School in Atlanta. Woods is proposing the implementation of security officers and wearable panic alert buttons, as well as expanding mental health care services for students. He also emphasized the need for better information sharing among law enforcement, schools, and other agencies to prevent future tragedies. These proposals align with similar suggestions made by Republican state House Speaker Jon Burns.
The shooting at Apalachee High School resulted in the deaths of two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, and two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, all aged 14. Additionally, seven others were injured in the incident. The perpetrator, 14-year-old Colt Gray, has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder. Authorities also charged his father, Colin Gray, with various offenses related to providing his son with access to a firearm despite knowing he posed a threat to others.
One of the key focuses of Richard Woods’ proposals is the enhancement of information sharing among relevant parties. This is particularly crucial in the case of Colt Gray, as he had previously been questioned by law enforcement in relation to an online threat of a school shooting. However, no charges were brought at that time, and it remains unclear if his previous schools were made aware of the threats. Woods also highlighted the need to expand mental health care services for students, with a specific mention of the state’s Apex program, which aims to guide students towards counseling.
The state budget in Georgia currently includes over $100 million in funding for school security, but Woods is calling for additional spending specifically targeted at school resource officers and alert systems. He did not specify an exact amount but expressed a desire to engage in discussions with lawmakers to determine more specific details. Meanwhile, House Speaker Jon Burns has also expressed interest in exploring measures to prevent guns from entering schools and increasing penalties for threats against schools. Additionally, he mentioned promoting safe firearm storage through a tax credit.
State Democrats in Georgia have criticized Republicans for the shooting incident, attributing it to the GOP’s loosening of gun laws. The Democrats have not gained much traction in passing legislation related to securing firearms from children’s access. However, Representative Michelle Au has vowed to reintroduce a proposal for creating a misdemeanor crime for negligently failing to secure firearms accessible to children. The response from Governor Brian Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones regarding the proposed security measures and mental health services remains pending.
