Umpqua Community College Considered Armed Guard, Dismissed Idea

Olson, a former deputy sheriff in Massachusetts, said the discussion about an armed guard had not been prompted by a particular threat. But he said there was a general fear of potential violence. He told the Times he did not believe a guard could stop a gunman.

The Oregon college where at least 10 people were killed in a  shooting rampage Thursday had in recent months considered hiring an armed security guard — but ultimately decided against the proposal, the retired president said.

"We talked about that over the last year because we were concerned about safety on campus," Joe Olson, who retired as president of Umpqua Community College at the end of June,  told The New York Times . "The campus was split 50-50. We thought we were a very safe campus, and having armed security officers on campus might change the culture."