A local ‘expert’ chimed in on #SchoolSafety and suggested schools should be treated like the secure zone around the President. His point was that more guns are the answer. As a former Secret Service Agent, I want to explain why ideas like this are fantasies. (thread) Let’s say you want to create a secure bubble. We need to hire a top notch security force. Back when I joined the USSS it costs about 100k to train me. That’s right. 100k. But these security professionals wouldn’t have to learn everything a USSS agent would, so let’s say 50K.

I was trained to shoot a Suicide bomber in the head. In 2002 or early 2003, I was a Secret Service agent working in D.C. protecting a “high value” protectee from the Middle East. That was the day the “bomber” approached.” I didn’t shoot. (Thread) Keep in mind this is happening months after the 9/11 attacks. We are at war and everyone is waiting for that next domestic hit. My protectee was visiting his U.S. ambassador on Mass Ave. (Embassy Row) & the motorcade was in front of the residence.

A woman ran at me with a knife once. I was responding to a domestic and she flew out the front door, huge knife in hand, & came right at me. I drew my weapon, yelled “police”, told her to drop the knife. She didn’t. At some point, I’d drawn my weapon. (Thread) I don’t know why I didn’t shoot. I could have shot her. If I would have, I would been cleared. In fact, I may have been given a citation for bravery or some nonsense for what would have been a reflexive reaction to my training. But, I didn’t shoot at the first opportunity.