State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is applauding a brave Tucson Police Department officer who saved the lives of 20 students, saved their parents from having their lives ruined by the grief that would have resulted, and saved the lives of staff also present.
Tucson Police Officer William Bonanno, the School Safety Officer who confronted and arrested the suspect, 31-year-old Daniel Hollander, had been on the job at Legacy Traditional School-East Tucson, for just two weeks.
Hollander faces charges of attempted terrorism, interfering with an educational institution, weapons misconduct-school grounds, and burglary.
Officer Bonanno’s services are provided to the school through funding from the Arizona Department of Education’s school safety program. Just over one month ago, the department announced $48 million in added funding for campus officers. The Legacy East Campus immediately applied for and received funds to hire Officer Bonanno.
“Only the heroic actions of the School Safety Officer, William Bonanno, prevented a catastrophe. He undoubtedly saved lives because of his incredible professionalism in that he was experienced enough to act quickly rather than wait for backup,” said Horne. “The presence of an armed officer has sadly become a crucial element of campus safety, and this incident proves that beyond a doubt. The heroism of this officer means that more than 20 families have not experienced the tragic death or injury to an innocent child. As a parent who has suffered the loss of a child, I can tell you that you never get over it.”
“We cannot allow the status quo where not enough schools have armed officers to continue,” Horne added. “More funding for officers and legislation that allows retired officers to become School Safety Officers or Resource Officers should be passed. Representative Matt Gress is sponsoring such a bill, HB 2074, and it has passed the House Education Committee. It needs to be fast-tracked through the legislature and signed by the Governor as soon as possible because as we saw yesterday, lives are at stake.”
“What happened in Tucson yesterday was an act of heroism that nearly became a terrible tragedy,” Rep. Matt Gress stated. “Lives were saved because an armed officer was doing his job at the Legacy East campus. This proves that, sadly, no space is entirely safe, and we must do everything we can to protect innocent lives. My legislation will do that, and I call on all my colleagues, regardless of political affiliation, to get this bill passed and I also call on Governor Hobbs to sign this bill when it reaches her desk. It is an essential, non-partisan issue that needs immediate attention.”