Another school shooting happened earlier this week — this time in Pennsylvania.

On Monday a student fired shots inside Erie High School, injuring a fellow student who is said by the Associated Press to be hospitalized in stable condition.

That no one died and only one person was seriously injured is good news. These types of events tend to end much worse.

But in the aftermath, well-intentioned people are going to propose solutions hoping to prevent such an event from happening again elsewhere.

One such suggestion that has been adopted in some districts already, is forcing students to carry clear backpacks with exceptions granted for bags containing medically-necessary supplies.

The person leading this effort in the state legislature is Rep. Angel Cruz, D-Philadelphia, who says such policies are already in place in places like Altoona, Harrisburg and Philadelphia after having been adopted by school districts in those locales. Cruz compares this clear-bag policy to those utilized at many sports stadiums, arenas and other large event venues. If Cruz’s proposal were to become law — which seems like an uphill battle with a majority-Republican General Assembly — it would apply to secondary students, or those in middle school, junior high school and high school.

But we’re skeptical of the effectiveness, especially when weighed against concerns of invasion of students’ privacy and the cost associated with obtaining these clear bags.

The problem with clear bags is, well, clear. It makes it easier for teachers and staff to know what a kid is carrying in his or her backpack, but it also makes it easier for everyone else to know what a kid is carrying in his or her backpack — something that would give bullies more ammunition to tease their victims and potentially cause a different type of harm.

Districts would also have to decide whether to spend the money to issue clear bags to each student or pass the cost along to families, some of whom may not have the means to afford nor obtain a compliant bag.

Use of clear backpacks is also not mentioned in the state’s 2018 School Safety Report. That 66-page document offered several recommendations to strengthen school safety, including spending more money on cameras, locked doors, metal detectors and school vestibules that promote safety and increase the use of school resource officers. The task force also recommended spending more time and attention improving students’ mental health, but not one word about clear bags.

We think most everyone — from the most-ardent supporter of gun rights to the leftest of the left — can agree that gun violence in our schools needs to be prevented. We just need to make sure what we choose to do will actually make a difference and not just be a placebo.

We think targeting the myriad mental health issues kids are facing these days is what can make the most difference. Clear backpacks feel more like a placebo than a difference-maker.

We hope our local school districts and a majority of the legislature feel the same way.