Trump back defends armed teachers in schools

President also proposed offering bonuses to educators

US President Donald Trump on Thursday defended the idea that teachers should be trained to shoot as a solution to attacks in schools. According to the US Head of State, "unarmed" schools are a "magnet" for mass killers. "In a series of tweets, the president considered that staffing is a measure that could be decisive.

"Teachers and coaches highly trained and adept at weapons would instantly solve the problem before the arrival of the Police." GREAT DISSUASIVE POWER, "Trump wrote.

During a meeting on Thursday (22) to discuss school safety in the country, the US president said he intends to provide a bonus for teachers who undergo training to carry weapons in classrooms, which could range between 10 %, 20% and 40% bonus.

The mogul became the target of protests from teachers who rejected his proposal and launched an internet campaign to promote his ideas. Identified by the hashtag #ArmMeWith ("MeArmeCom"), the educators' effort is a direct response to Trump and has been shared thousands of times.

Some ask to be armed "with the resources and money to help students with mental problems, not with weapons," while others suggest they would like to receive "books, school materials, time to solve students' emotional problems, and broaden relationships ".

After the shooting at the Parkland facility in Florida last Thursday (15), which left 17 people dead among teachers and students, several North American teenagers have protested on the streets and on social networks for the president and parliamentarians to take measures that curb violent acts of this type.

On Thursday, Trump also defended the National Rifle Association (NRA), the leading organization for gun ownership in the country and a major funder of political campaigns.

The controversial statement came a day after the Republican was in favor of greater background checks on the sale of weapons and proposed a ban on so-called bump stock , used to convert semiautomatic rifles into automatic weapons with accelerated firing.