With the recent school shooting in Florida, we asked readers if such a tragedy could happen here.

To be honest, it is possible because people get bullied a lot. I’d heard about the student who stabbed two students here in the Bronx and the killer was actually bullied. So it is possible. The victims of bullying like to take things into their own hands. When you’re in school you don’t really think about these things, but sometimes you do see signals and I’ll think about it. People need to ask a person how he feels; he could be suicidal. Friends could do more than the police or teachers.
Abdoulaye Gassama
Hunts Point

Well, that could happen anywhere. Donald Trump said something the other day; he suggested arming the teachers. I believe in that. I don’t believe that they should carry a gun every day, but I believe there should be a gun in the school, so when something like that happens one of the teachers could go and get it. He just killed 17 people. If there was a gun in the school, it may have not been so many. I think the laws here are tough enough, but they should conduct better background checks. They should check and double check.
Bobby Santiago
Bedford Park

It could definitely happen here. There are a lot of guns here in New York that are illegal. I feel the AR-15 shouldn’t be in the hands of anyone. They buy them and then cross the border. As an educator, I feel that arming the teachers is the worst thing you can do. We worry enough about how we’re going to educate our students to worry about someone coming and pulling a gun. A student can grab the gun and we could accidentally shoot another student. No, not a good idea at all. They should outlaw the AR-15, look at the mental health issue, and the age limit should be raised to 21.
Yolanda Roman
Norwood

If they outlaw guns, they’re still going to come in here. It’s like drugs. They outlaw drugs and it still comes in. I think Trump is right, let’s arm some teachers. That’s the best way to do this. Oh no, the cop is not that dumb to shoot the teacher. He can distinguish who the bad guy is and who’s not. It can happen here, of course. I think they should outlaw the AR-15s, yes. The minimum age should be 25, it’s all the young kids doing these shootings. Absolutely they should do better background checks, it’s the NRA who doesn’t want it.
Louie Maietta
Morris Park

I don’t think it’s a good idea to arm the teachers, there could be an accident. That could happen anywhere, including New York. We do have metal detectors in most schools, but it could happen anywhere. The gun laws here could be strengthened because there’s a lot of guns out here. They do need to conduct better background checks.
German Santos
Parkchester