Fifty-one percent of Americans said they "favor strongly" or "favor somewhat" allowing teachers and administrators to carry firearms in schools, according to a new poll conducted by The Economist/YouGov.
The survey, conducted among 1,500 adults May 28-31, came one week after a gunman shot and killed 21 people, including 19 children, at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Thirty-seven percent oppose giving teachers and administrators the option of being armed at school, including 14% who "somewhat" oppose the notion and 23% who "strongly" oppose it.
Criticism of law enforcement's response to the shooting has been mounting after state authorities said officers struggled for about an hour to enter the fourth-grade classroom where Salvador Ramos, 18, opened fire.
The shooter was "not confronted by anybody" when he walked into the school, according to a regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, and officers remained outside the classroom until a heavily armed tactical team arrived about 60 minutes in.
The incident has renewed the debate on gun-control legislation, with some lawmakers suggesting arming teachers as a stopgap.
"We can't stop bad people from doing bad things. We can potentially arm and prepare and train teachers and other administrators to respond quickly," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said during an appearance on Fox News.
Former President Donald Trump at this year's NRA convention Friday also called for "highly trained teachers to safely and discreetly conceal carry" firearms in school.
The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.9%.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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