Often a child’s introduction to the world of firearms, air rifles generally use gas stored in a small canister to propel a BB or pellet out of the barrel at relatively high speed. While far less lethal than true firearms, they can cause serious harm in some circumstances. “All students passed their safety test and have been sharpening their skills,” the post said.
As of the morning of Feb. 8, the post had garnered 13,000 reactions and 5,700 comments and had been shared over 60,000 times. For perspective, the population of Thermopolis is around 2,700. “This is what America needs more of,” one comment read. “Education and responsible firearm ownership.” “This is so awesome! Probably one of the safest schools in the country too,” a commenter wrote. “I need to find a school like this for my son once he’s old enough!” “CA masks their kids, Wyoming teaches marksmanship,” said another. Of the nearly 6,000 comments, most are in support of the district.
Still, many expressed concern and anger. “America is a dystopian hellhole,” a commenter said. Some suggested that by teaching kids to work a gun, the school could be setting itself up for tragedy. “Do they go straight from their gun marksmanship training to their active shooter drills?” asked another.
In a statement to McClatchy News, district superintendent Dustin Hunt and board chairman Sherman Skelton said that while they regret if anyone was offended by the post, the three-week air rifle course is practical for Hot Springs students. “One of the many beauties of public education is that locally elected school boards help shape curriculum to match community norms and needs,” the statement read. “In Wyoming, the vast majority of households have firearms. It is important for students to safely learn about and respect things they will encounter in their everyday lives.” Hunt and Skelton added that students are not required to take part if they don’t want to, and an “alternative assignment” is available. “To date, no students have requested an alternate unit or assignment,” the statement said. With students so often the victims and the perpetrators of mass shootings, the idea that guns of any kind would be welcomed in a school is jarring to some. But across the country, school districts have trap shooting clubs and teams, or JROTC programs that train members to shoot and compete with air rifles.
Such programs have come under increased scrutiny since 2018, after Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 classmates and staff members. Cruz was a member of the school’s JROTC rifle team. Despite the backdrop of gun violence on campus, school-affiliated clay shooting teams and clubs are flourishing, Time Magazine reported in 2019. Even in states with strict gun policies like New York, such teams aren’t just lingering on, they’re growing in popularity. Like any sport, shooting can be fun and even build confidence, students told Time. “It took me out of my bubble,” 19-year-old Sydney Gilbertson, who joined her team at 13, said. “It’s the best thing I did in high school. If this were taken away from kids … I don’t know what I would have done.”
