Florida shooting: Gun-free schools are magnets for bad people, says Trump

At the Wednesday meeting with survivors of the Florida shooting,Trump also promised “very strong” background checks on gun owners.

A “gun free” school is nothing but a “magnet” for mass shooters, President Donald Trump said Thursday, doubling down on a proposal to train and arm some teachers to keep US schools safe.

US President Donald Trump talks about gun safety in schools during a meeting with local and state officials about improving school safety at the White House in Washington, US, on Thursday.(Reuters Photo)

“Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches would solve the problem instantly, before police arrive. GREAT DETERRENT!” Trump tweeted.

At a White House meeting late Wednesday with survivors of a shooting rampage at a Florida high school that killed 17 people, Trump suggested arming a select group of teachers to deter mass shootings.

At the Wednesday meeting, billed as a “listening session,” Trump also promised “very strong” background checks on gun owners.

“I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health,” Trump tweeted Thursday.

“Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue - I hope!”

Currently under federal law anyone 18 or over can buy a gun from a private, unlicensed seller, although a handful of states have set the minimum age at 21.

“Bump stocks” are legal devices that clip on to the back end of a rifle and harness the gun’s recoil, essentially turning a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one.