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Donald Trump has suggested arming one in five teachers could protect further school massacres.

Speakling at a listening session in the wake of last week’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, he claimed getting talented teachers to join a ‘concealed carry’ program would cut deaths.

Trump said: ‘(Concealed carry) only works where you have people very adept at using firearms, of which you have many

‘It would be teachers and coaches…if the coach had a firearm in his locker when he ran at this guy…that coach was very brave, saved a lot of lives i suspect.

‘But if he had a firearm he wouldn’t have had to run, he would have shot and that would have been the end of it, and this would only be obviously for people who are very adept at hanging a gun.’

Trump pictured during Wednesday’s listening session (AFP)

The president was referring to assistant sports coach Aaron Feis, who was shot dead while trying to shield his students during last week’s shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Trump continued: ‘A teacher would have a concealed gun on them, the would go for special training, and you would no longer have a gun free zone.

‘A gun-free zone, to a maniac, because they’re all cowards, is lets go in and lets attack, because bullets aren’t coming back at us

‘If you do this, and a lot of people are talking about it, but concealed carry for teachers, and people with that type of talent, 20 per cent of your teaching force.

‘An attack has lasted on average 3 minutes, it takes 5 to 8 minutes for responders to come in

Trump claimed if Marjory Stoneman Douglas sports coach Aaron Feis had a gun, he wouldn’t have died protecting his students from shooter Nikolas Cruz

‘If you had a teacher who was adept at firearms, they could very well end the attack very quickly, and the good thing about a suggestion is that you’ll have a lot of people with that.

‘If these cowards knew the school was well guarded from the standpoint of having professionals with great training i think they wouldn’t go into the school to start with.

‘It could very well solve your problem.’

But at least one of those who attended blasted back, telling Trump that most school shooters were suicidal and wouldn’t be deterred by the thought of being shot dead.

Gunman Nikolas Cruz, 19, killed 14 students and three school workers at the school in Parkland, Florida with an AR-15 assault rifle.

Broward County Sheriff’s office say he has admitted the killing, and he has since been charged with 17 counts of pre-meditated murder.