Students from Oakland University train to throw hockey pucks to outsmart shooters

Faculty members and students from Oakland University, in the suburbs of Detroit, will receive training on the use of hockey pucks to foil fencers.

WDIV-TV reports that the American Association of University Teachers has distributed pucks to its 800 members.

Mark Gordon, the chief of police at the university, said that to fight effectively, people on campus should be prepared to throw heavy objects that could cause distraction. Gordon says that pucks can easily be carried in briefcases or backpacks.

The union faculty of Oakland University also collaborates with student groups to distribute 1,700 additional pucks to students.

The 2007 Virginia Tech shootout prompted Oakland University to help people on campus prepare for and defend themselves from gun violence, Gordon told the media. A 23-year-old student launched a Virginia Tech shootout that left 32 people, plus the gunman killed.