Local gun store owner proposing ‘school marshals’

PINEY FLATS, Tenn. -

A local gun store owner is proposing schools need more than school resource officers to handle life-threatening situations.

Don Reimer co-owner and general manager of Shooter's Edge in Piney Flats told News 5 he wants to see school marshals inside schools in the same way you'll have air marshals on some planes.

Reimer said his store came up with this proposal about a year-and-a-half ago, and this plan would recruit volunteers already working at the school to undergo an evaluation and then special training to respond in a moment's notice.

"Our solution is to have these three, four, five, [or] eight depending on the size of the school, to have these marshals in different strategic places located throughout the schools so that regardless of where this incident happened, they can respond immediately," said Reimer.

Reimer said he plans to share his proposal with Sullivan County officials next month.