Ohio puts school safety back in spotlight after Minnesota shooting

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(The Center Square) – Less than a week after a gunman killed two students at a Minneapolis school, Ohio leaders are pushing church and school leaders to take advantage of several publicly-funded school safety options.

Gov. Mike DeWine, who lowered flags across the state following the shooting, called school and church safety a priority across Ohio.

"We've made it a priority in this administration to offer a broad range of public safety support to our local communities, and these programs are a perfect example of this commitment," DeWine said. "Our schools and churches can never be too safe, and I encourage leaders to take advantage of these grant programs and the other free services that the state provides."

The taxpayer-funded grant programs offer money for security enhancements for churches, nonprofits, and private schools, as well as public schools, colleges, and training for police officers and school safety planners.

The Ohio School Safety Center also offers free security and vulnerability assessments to identify gaps in a school’s security plan, and intelligence analysis to investigate social media, monitor events and offer presentations.

"From our college campuses to our elementary schools and religious institutions, it's important that we always strive to create a safe environment," Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel said. "Our schools and churches all have different safety needs, and these programs are tailored to offer individualized support."

A total of 18 victims were injured and two were killed in a Wednesday shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis on Aug. 27.

The shooter was identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the back of the Church of Annunciation. Westman was born male and named Robert at birth, but identified as female and was named Robin at the time of the shooting.

Police found three firearms on the shooter and more were found as police used search warrants to search the church and three other Minneapolis locations. Police say the shooter acted alone and bought the guns legally.