Dixon school shooting hero says schools need support

Posted on May 31, 2018
Bruce Rauner and Mark Dallas
Gov. Bruce Rauner (left) honored Dixon officer Mark Dallas for thwarting a school shooting earlier this month. (Facebook/Bruce Rauner)

By RFD Radio/WFMB

SPRINGFIELD – The resource officer that shot an alleged school shooter in Dixon was honored at the Illinois Capitol on Wednesday.

Mark Dallas confronted and stopped a teenager with a gun before anyone could be killed. Dallas was a Dixon police officer before working as an armed school resource officer. He urged lawmakers that armed support is needed in the state’s schools.

“You will face challenges in opposition to your support for placement of school resource officers in our schools,” Dixon told lawmakers. “They will say that idea costs too much. They will argue that police offices shouldn’t be in our school hallways, but you are our children’s heroes.

“Heroes don’t run from adversity, they face it head on.”

Dixon said it’s a new normal – having school shootings in the United States. That, he said, needs to change.

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