In the confusing aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, officials have looked everywhere but the blindingly obvious while trying to pin blame for the tragedy.
After a rousing round of “schools should have one door” that probably caused sleepless nights among the nation’s fire marshals, officials in one Florida school district have come up with a new solution: no more backpacks.
Wagering that you can’t carry a gun if you can’t carry anything, the Broward County Public Schools announced a ban on bookbags for the final days of the school year. In a letter to parents over the weekend, they said the move was taken out of an “overabundance of caution for security reasons.” The ban begins tomorrow and all students were encouraged to use Monday to return any items to the school ahead of summer break.
While district officials say the bookbag ban has been policy in Broward for several years at “many of their district schools,” this appears to be the first district-wide prohibition on bags.
The move comes after an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at a Texas elementary school. The shooter was allowed to roam in the school for over an hour while police waited outside, and the story of how the shooter was able to stay enter the building and stay for so long has been muddled by local authorities.