FL: Campus Carry Considered

Last month there was a shooting at Florida State University where three students were shot by a mentally disturbed man before the police arrived.  One of the students had a concealed carry permit, but was not allowed to have his defensive firearm with him.  Another witness was a combat veteran who said that he had a clear shot at the attacker, but was also prevented from having his firearm with him by current law.

A bill has been filed in the Florida Senate to restore the ability of permit holders to carry their firearms on campus, as they can off campus  From northescambia.com:

“We have seen that the current “Gun-Free Zone” policies have done nothing to curb violence, both in our state and nationwide,” Culbreath wrote in a Nov. 24 news release. “As criminals don’t abide by these policies, they only serve to prevent victims from having the ability to defend themselves and their peers.”

 In 2013, the courts ruled that Florida Universities cannot ban guns from student's vehicles that are on campus. 

Identical bills have been filed by Senator Greg Evers (R) and Representative Greg  Steube (R).

Several states have restored the ability of people to legally carry firearms on campus.   No increase in crime has resulted.

This helps explain why the poll taken in Florida after the shooting was so completely one-sided.   It was 15-1 in favor of more freedom on campus. 

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