A school district in Kansas has purchased eight Smith & Wesson M&P semi-automatic rifles for use by its security officers, citing an increase in on-campus shootings for the purchase.
The school’s safety director defended the purchase, saying that officers need to be “equally matched” to those who attack. While most high-profile cases have involved semi-automatic weapons, the vast majority of school shootings have occurred with handguns.
The Kansas district is far from alone. Others across the nation have purchased similar firepower in an attempt to curb the violence.