Shooting fallout: metal detectors in elementary schools?

The Associated Press quoted Amanda Nickerson in a report on the fallout of a shooting at Richneck Elementary School in which a first-grade teacher was shot by a 6-year-old student. Many in the Virginia city are calling for metal detectors in schools. “Metal detectors and clear backpacks are more likely to cause young children to be fearful and feel criminalized,” said Nickerson. “Many of the strategies being suggested do not have any research evidence, and they may actually erode a healthy school climate,” she said — one where students and staff feel free to share concerns about possible threats, which has been shown to prevent shootings.