Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) said Tuesday that he believes now is the time to talk about arming teachers.
In the wake of Connecticut elementary school massacre that took the lives of 20 first-graders and six adults, some have advocated the idea of allowing adults to carry weapons inside schools to prevent school violence.
McDonnell told WTOP radio that it was a "reasonable discussion" to be had, and suggested that if the principal at Sandy Hook elementary school was armed, "perhaps" carnage could have been avoided.
"I know there's been a knee-jerk reaction against that, but I think there should at least be a discussion," he said. "If people were armed, not just a police officer, but other school officials who were trained and chose to have a weapon, certainly there'd have been an opportunity to stop aggressors coming into the school. "
He stressed that it was important not to overreact in the aftermath of the shooting tragedy. "Any policy changes should be based on facts and what will work," he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry also expressed support for arming teachers.
You can listen to the full interview with McDonnell here.
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