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Rep. Brady Barricade Measure Pushes For Safer Schools

people try to lock a door in a classroom
Mary Cullen
/
WGLT
Run-Hide-Fight trainees work to barricade a door while the acting shooter attemps to break into the Metcalf School classroom October 8, 2018.

A measure aimed at making classrooms safer in the event of a school shooting is gaining speed in the Illinois General Assembly.

The measure sponsored by state Rep. Dan Brady of Normal would allow additional door barricades or locking mechanisms on classroom doors. The Republican lawmaker says the added safety measures will speed up the lockdown process.

In a written statement, Brady says teachers in many schools have to lock the door from the outside, leaving staff vulnerable in the hallway.

“This legislation can literally be a lifesaver if a gunman gains entry to a school building,” Brady said.

If passed, the measure will allow for remote locking or barricading from inside the classroom.

The measure passed the Illinois House unanimously. It now heads to the Senate.

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