6 News Reporter
A
team from Gunny's Indoor Shooting Range in Maryville traveled to
Lenoir City to teach some high school students how to fight back
if there were an incident like Columbine.
"We're going to teach you today, the front row, how you are going to survive," David 'Gunny' Perry, owner of Gunny's, told the students.
They're being taught how to fight back just in case, Perry says. He directed the training which will later become part of his self-defense television show.
"The way I see it, the kids have two choices. They are going to get shot underneath the desk or they can be shot trying to save their lives," Perry says.
He says the 20-plus kids participating in Wednesday's training learned skills that every student should know if they find themselves face to face with a gunman.
In one scenario, the armed shooter made it into a classroom. The students were taught how to defend themselves and distract him.
"I'd have to charge because it's one less life he gets to take," says Adam Ingram, a student at Greenback High School who's taking a criminal justice class.
Students like Ingram were ready and willing to learn how book bags and books can be just as valuable as a gun if they stick together.
School officials say they're behind this training 100 percent despite some concern.
"I think it's a way we need to go in all schools. We had one of 28 parents that did not want their student to participate. That's a good number," says Tom Hankinson, supervisor of the alternative school in Lenoir City and CTE Director.
Perry says he offered this type of self-defense training to several local school districts, but they opted out.