ONEIDA, Tenn. (WATE) — After a shooter opened fire at a Minneapolis Catholic school Wednesday morning, private schools in East Tennessee are working to protect the safety of their students.

It’s a situation Landmark Christian Academy’s principal Misty Blevins said hits too close to home, but she are hoping to combat with their “School Guardian” program.

“A lot of schools, they say that they have these gun-free zones. This is a very non-gun-free zone. There are a lot of guns in this zone,” said LCA’s School Guardian Scott McNamara.

After a 2023 mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, McNamara said he called Blevins to pitch the idea and volunteer. As a parent, the recent events in Minneapolis remind him why he decided to do so.

“The first responder community is fantastic. But

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