Reactions are coming in the aftermath of the largest church mass shooting in Texas history this past weekend near San Antonio which killed 26. Seven years ago, former Shreveport area State Representative Henry Burns authored a bill which allows guns in places of worship, with church leadership approval. Burns says the law specifies that all in the congregation are aware if someone is carrying a weapon.
Back then he argued that this bill would keep parishioners safe in churches. Burns says when the law went into effect in 2010, it required individuals to undergo eight hours of specialized training in order to have a concealed gun in a church and the interest was overwhelming.
Are there additional steps that churches need to take to ensure the safety of attendees? Burns says installing metal detectors may be an extreme but necessary step.