The shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida is resonating in Wisconsin, which became the 49th state to allow the carrying of concealed weapons on Nov. 1. Some wonder whether citizens should be required to undergo more rigorous firearms training–as law enforcers do–before they are allowed to carry guns, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. State authorities had approved concealed carry permits for about 98,000 applicants as of April 12.
Law enforcers go through several hours of incident simulation training a year to prepare them for pulling the trigger on another person. They face off with instructors or other officers, firing high-speed paintball shells at each other. Military personnel also go through rigorous training so they know the ramifications of pulling the trigger. At Waukesha County Technical College, officers can be put through any of 350 different scenarios that they might encounter on the street, according to Brian Dorow, associate dean in the department of criminal justice, homeland security and counterterrorism. He notes, “Once the bullet leaves the gun, you can’t take it back.”