Recent gun scare on campus reignites concealed carry issue.

“I can’t believe this is happening again.”

This was the first thought that occurred to English senior Allison Cunningham after she read a text message from the University of Texas Alert system on Monday saying there was a male spotted with two guns on campus.



Just months after sophomore Colton Tooley fired shots on campus and committed suicide in the Perry-Casteña Library, UT students were alerted once again that someone was possibly armed on campus. This was the second gun scare for Cunningham, who was studying in the library when Tooley fatally shot himself.

This incident, however, was a false alarm. UTPD issued an all-clear announcement within thirty minutes after discovering the guns were actually replica rifles that an unidentified ROTC student was transferring from one car to another. Though the incident turned out to be a scare, it did bring up the issue of concealed carry on campus once again.

The issue of concealed carry on campus was brought up earlier this year when Representative David Simpson of Longview filed House Bill 86 in the state legislature, which would allow college students who have concealed carry licenses to bring their guns to campus. Similar bills are also currently being considered in the House and Senate, such as HB 750, HB 1167, HB 1356 and SB 354. Each bill concerns allowing guns on campus provided there are certain provisions, such as in HB 750, which would only allow guns on certain parts of campus.

When the legislature went into session, UT students launched a campaign called “Invest in Texas”, which encourages students to lobby the state legislature to stop budget cuts within higher education. Though budget cuts are a main focus of their platform, lobbying legislators to oppose HB 86 is also one of the main points in their platform.

Some student organizations that are partnering with Invest in Texas believe that Monday’s incident will help their cause in opposing concealed guns on campus.
“I’m hoping the scare makes our legislature realize that [guns on campus] are the students’ choice. Our voice should be heard on this matter,” said Ashley Jennings, president of one of the sponsoring organizations, Communication Council.

Another Communication Council member agreed. “I feel that the gun scare on Monday will affect the way that Invest in Texas will campaign,” said Wayne Holstine. “If someone walking around with replica guns is going to cause fear throughout the campus, why should we allow actual guns to be carried around?”
Though Blake Medley, policy committee co-chair in the University Democrats organization, is also against guns on campus, he isn’t so sure that the scare will actually affect the campaign.

“The incident on Monday has already become a speaking point for Invest in Texas, but the supporters of guns on campus will also use it as an example. So it won’t really have an altering impact on the issue because it is only a more recent example that can be used for or against guns being allowed on campus,” said Medley.

Though 25 student organizations are sponsoring the campaign, not all the students involved in those groups agree with this particular platform on the agenda.

Alex Butcher, public relations senior, is one of those students.

“I believe that people who are responsible enough to obtain a concealed carry license should be able to exercise their full Second Amendment rights,” said Butcher, who is a member of sponsoring organization Texas Wranglers.

The Invest in Texas website states that “there is no evidence that concealed carry decreases crime, and there’s so little violence on college campuses that increasing the presence of weapons becomes more of a risk than a solution”.

Medley agreed, saying he believes that the incident on Monday could have had more violence than necessary if students with concealed carry were around.

“If a student with a concealed gun had seen the person with the two ‘shotguns’ on campus, it is likely that someone would have pulled their gun on the man, though hopefully not shooting him. So while there were no actual firearms involved, guns on campus would make it so that guns are always one step away from being pulled out,” said Medley.

The Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee held a hearing in mid-March to discuss the HB 86, but it was left pending in committee and no further action has been taken since then. The same goes for House bills 1167 and 1356. However, HB 750 was approved in committee on April 1 and has been sent to the floor of the House, where legislators will vote on it in the upcoming months. SB 354 was also approved in committee and will be heading to the Senate for a full vote. Both bills are expected to pass on the floor of the House and Senate, but UT students involved in the Invest in Texas campaign will continue to lobby against concealed carry on campus until those votes happen.

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