Sheneca Cowart faces multiple felony gun charges following the incident at The Academy of McCrory Lane on Thursday.

A Tennessee teacher has been arrested after she allegedly threatened to shoot a colleague in the preschool where she worked, police said.

Sheneca Cowart was charged with assault, threat of mass violence at a school and two counts of carrying a weapon onto school property following the Thursday incident at The Academy of McCrory Lane in Nashville.

Authorities took Cowart into custody after witnesses said she threatened to "retrieve a firearm and made threats against another teacher and the school after an argument," the Metro Nashville Police Department said.

Staff members alleged 29-year-old Cowart threatened to “shoot up” the preschool and that she keeps a gun “on her,” according to NBC News affiliate WSMV.

Another teacher claimed to overhear Cowart say “when I start shooting, you better run,” prompting the preschool to go into lockdown, WSMV reported.

    • ParabolicMotion@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      It seems extreme, but if a teacher works at a correctional facility, or at a school that is known for having violent gangs, I could understand their concern. I think they should propose bullet proof attire first, though. The threat in those situations is being fired upon by an assailant. Would they really have time to defend themselves in an attack? Maybe it would help in a situation where the school is locked down, teacher and students are already hiding in classrooms, and everyone is bracing themselves for armed entry by an assailant. That allows time to prepare. If some assailant has planned a solitary surprise attack on one particular educator, they probably won’t have time to prepare a defense. They’ll be lucky if the bullet deflects, or if it doesn’t strike any major organs.

      I’m basically being downvoted for saying that politicians should encourage bullet proof attire, before passing laws to arm teachers with guns. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but blocking bullets might save more lives than firing one. I’m merely replying to Wildcardology in this comment, though, and not referring to the article, like I did in my previous comment.

      • Cethin
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        8 months ago

        Making kids be afraid to be in school is a recipe for horrible mental health. They should be made to feel safe and comfortable. Forcing them to wear bulletproof vests is not a valid solution. Laws aimed at reducing gun violence are.

        • ParabolicMotion@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          It isn’t preschools that some politicians are discussing when they consider arming teachers. They usually talk about high schools because of the school shootings that have happened in the past.

        • ParabolicMotion@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          No, I don’t think it’s insane for a teacher to wear a bullet proof vest. The campus police wear them in California. Schools with gang presence in the community have police that are stationed at the school every day. I don’t think we live in the same areas.

          I do think it’s insane for a person to keep a gun on his/her body as a preschool teacher. I don’t see a need for that.