School shooting survivor has mixed feelings on arming teachers, staff
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (WKRC) - Cameron Smith has mixed feelings about arming teachers and other school staff after surviving a school shooting. He was one of two students shot by Austin Hancock at Madison Junior-Senior High School in in 2016.
"If it was a 9 mm, me and one other person would have been dead," Smith said as he looked at two of the three slugs surgeons removed from his body. "It's definitely rough. I still have a lot of pain from it."
Smith was eating lunch in the cafeteria in 2016 when Austin Hancock started shooting. A school resource officer had stepped out of the cafeteria when Hancock randomly shot other students. Smith was shot along with another student and two others were hurt.
"I started feeling a burning in my back and I stand up and look around and I see Austin holding a gun, and I see him walking toward the door to get out of the cafeteria," Smith said.
Over the last two-and-half years, Smith's had several surgeries, physical therapy and counseling for anxiety. He tried to return to the Madison Junior-Senior High School after the shooting.
"I did the following year, but I definitely shouldn't have," he said.
He now attends Edgewood Schools in Butler County. He feels the building there is more secure because of the double set of doors at the school. Some staff in Edgewood schools are armed.
Debate has raged in the Madison School District over arming some school staff who volunteer. The school board recently approved the program. Hamilton Schools have decided against arming teachers and will take part in a school safety levy in the fall in the hope of hiring more school resource officers and implementing other safety measures. The school board could consider arming some staff members who volunteer if the levy fails.
Smith and his grandmother said they're not against guns, but they're split on the issue of arming school staff.
"To arm a teacher that could possibly take someone else's life, I think they should have longer classes than over a summer," Smith said.
Melody Hollingsworth, Smith's grandmother, said she believes other steps should be taken before arming staff members.
"First, we need to back up and make sure these kids don't get our guns and take them to school," Hollingsworth said.
Smith and Hollingsworth feel metal detectors should be added to schools and more resource officers to keep students safe.
"I think metal detectors would be the best way just have all of the students go through and when the student comes through and it goes off, just take a wand and make sure," Smith said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Smith's ongoing medical expenses. Click here.
