In the most tense moments at McNair Discovery Learning Academy in the past few hours, Antoinette Tuff acted as the messenger and go between for gun toting Michael Brandon Hill and police authorities. Despite the gunfire from Hill's AK-47, Tuff kept her cool while the whole world awaited the drama unfold at the Decatur, Georgia school grounds.
As the go-between, Tuff relayed the demands of the lone gunman, who held the whole school at gunpoint. She said that Hill wanted the police to 'stop using their radios' and 'stop all movement.' Throughout the tense stand off, Tuff told Hill she cared for him, shared her personal struggles with Hill and even to the point of offering to walk with the gunman when he surrenders to prevent police from shooting him dead.
According to DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander called Tuff as 'a real hero'. The difference between this resolved standoff and the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, according to the police chief, was the treatment of the gunman, who had about 500 rounds of ammunition, first as a person and then second as a suspect.
The issue again highlights the need to restrict access to guns and the Second Amendment protections provided by the US Constitution. In terms of money, in 2011 alone, the firearms industry generated USD31 billion in economic impact. About USD4 billion was spent on commercial gun and ammunition sales. Finally, the stock value of the gun manufacturer whose gun was used in the Sandy Hook tragedy fell by a mere 4.44%.
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