Averting Future Tragedies on Campus

On Friday, February 12, the shocking trend of violence on college campuses and school grounds hit northern Alabama.  But this was not another all-too typical instance of a troubled student opening fire on defenseless students and faculty; this shooting was particularly jarring because the shooter was a faculty member. Amy Bishop, a professor of biology and a recipient of a doctorate degree from Harvard University, is accused of shooting and killing three of her fellow faculty members during a meeting to discuss her tenure eligibility. According to witnesses in the room, Bishop unloaded her nine-millimeter pistol into her colleagues until the handgun either jammed or ran out of ammunition.

These events are undeniably tragic and it is unimaginable to consider how the innocent bystanders reacted to the horror unfolding before their eyes.  Though this tragedy may have potentially been prevented if police had more thoroughly investigated allegations that Bishop murdered her brother in 1986, could the effects of this particular shooting itself have been mitigated?  More to the point, what would have happened if one of the faculty members in that room had a concealed firearm?  It is difficult to speculate, but there is a slight possibility that lives could have been saved if an individual was able to stop Bishop while she was shooting. 

In the wake of the shootings at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University, and now at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the time has come for a reinterpretation of a subject many students and faculty are hesitant to discuss: the right for individuals to carry firearms on college campuses. Concerns over the danger of students and faculty carrying weapons are understandable, but the majority of complaints are misguided hyperbole.

Concealed carry permits are highly regulated in the state of Michigan as it is, with permits issued to qualified applicants who pass background checks and complete a training course. And even if legislation was passed to universally allow concealed carry on public campuses (an issue discussed in previous issues of the Review), individuals would still be forbidden from carrying into classrooms.

The anti-campus concealed carry arguments typically resort to accusations that school property would begin to resemble a Clint Eastwood film, with frequent shootouts erupting over trivial arguments.  Facts simply do not back up this fantasy.  It is important to remember that campus shooters break the law by bringing guns on to campus in the first place (not to mention using them to mow down innocent people); clearly, laws do not deter them.  Moreover, crime rates among CCW holders are no higher than, and in many cases lower than, the general population.  CCW holders represent a segment of the citizenry that recognizes and respects the potential danger associated with firearms, and have undergone training and certification before exercising their right to keep and bear arms.

The chief argument, then, is the potential effectiveness of legal concealed weapons as a tool for deterrence.  Even if a student or faculty member legally carrying a firearm was in the same vicinity of an active shooter, there is no guarantee that they would be able to disarm the shooter.  Further, there is a very real risk of collateral damage, though this is true even if law enforcement gets involved. 

Instead, allowing individuals to legally carry concealed weapons could potentially introduce an element of doubt in the mind of a would-be shooter.  Schools are, unfortunately, obvious choices for mass shootings because they are by and large “gun free zones.”  The thought that some of your potential victims might be able to shoot back might make a would-be murderer think twice. 

Despite the thick air of controversy surrounding the issue, it is time engage in rational debate over the issue.  Until then, we can expect to see more tragedies like the one in Alabama.

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