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Firearms trainer holding free classes for teachers who want to learn how to use guns

President Donald Trump has suggested arming teachers in classrooms.

Now, a local firearms expert and police officer are teaming up to do that.

Keystone Shooting Center in Cranberry just announced free classes to educators for the month of March.

They'll be talking about situational awareness, getting a plan in place before anything bad happens.

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Beaver County also just announced a free program for teachers, in which they will allow the teachers to shoot firearms.

Bill Fortuna has been shooting at the Beaver Valley Rifle and Pistol Club in Beaver Falls for more than 10 years.

When he saw the images on Channel 11 of another school shooting, this time in Florida, with more children killed, he said he had to do something.

"Our children are dying and there's no one in there to defend them," Fortuna said.

The latest school shooting in Florida has a Beaver County gun club offering free pistol training classes to teachers, saying knowledge is power. I’m sure a lot of people are going to want to weigh in on this. The details tonight at 5:30. Plus we found another facility in Cranberry, Butler County who is offering similar classes only to educators. The information and my story tonight at 6:15. http://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/firearms-trainer-holding-free-classes-for-teachers-who-want-to-learn-how-to-use-guns/705238406

Posted by WPXI Amy Marcinkiewicz on Thursday, February 22, 2018

He teamed up with Sam Piccinini, who is not only a Rochester Township police officer, but a firearms expert. They are contacting teachers, offering them free firearms training.

They're not just teaching educators how to shoot, but also giving them knowledge and insight that can be taken back to supervisors.

"We have to protect our children from the evil that continues to come in school doors," Piccinini said.

Both men know that, right now, Pennsylvania law does not allow guns on school grounds, but they say knowledge is power.

"It's what we can do right now," Piccinini said. "We have to do something."

Channel 11 checked with the school superintendents in Butler and Beaver counties.

They said they understand the Second Amendment, but also said that, as of right now, guns are not permitted on school grounds.

They said they had no problems with their employees taking gun and safety classes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call Sam Piccinini at 724-405-7468 or email info@masterammo.com