School district to vote on keeping M4 rifles on property

The plan calls for one M4 Colt carbine rifle to be kept at each of three middle schools during school hours.

Each safe would be secured by electronic locks that would require the fingerprint of the school’s resource officer to open.

During non-school hours the rifle would be kept in the vehicle of the resource officer.

Gainesville, Georgia police Chief Brian Kelly told those gathered for the meeting they had a singular goal “first and foremost, protection of life.”

The Gainesville Times reports Kelly told the meeting his department had been studying school safety since the Newtown, Connecticut murders last December.

He said the districts middle schools have long hallways and the rifle would help officers deal with potential shooters from much further away than do their hand guns.

Cost of the plan is said to be $6,000 including the guns and safes they would be kept in.

The district middle school board initially voted in favor of the new plan with a final vote on implementation coming later this month.

More here from WSB-TV.