It was midnight in Tallahassee as students prepped for finals, poring over books at Florida State University’s Strozier Library. The library is usually open 24 hours, giving students a communal environment for studying. The night was like any other November evening before finals.
Then the shots rang out.
The Strozier Library mass shooting left three wounded and the gunman dead. One of the victims was left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot several times that evening.
School shootings frequent news headlines across the country -- just last week, a student was shot dead at Savannah State University in Georgia.
The shootings have sparked debate nationwide about the prevalence of guns on college campuses.
That debate hits close to home in Florida especially. Last year, state lawmakers pushed to pass a law allowing concealed weapons on college campuses. Yet, despite the legislation’s failure during the regular session, state lawmakers are back with a renewed push for campus carry in 2016.
For many, college is a time of long hours spent with friends, partying and an overall high-stress environment of exams and pressure to succeed academically. But college can also be a dangerous time for students, especially women, who have a 1-in-4 risk of being sexually assaulted during their academic career.
It’s for this reason, says Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, that allowing campus carry is so important. Steube says criminals see college as “gun free zones,” which make campuses the perfect target for committing crimes, because they know people won’t be there to defend themselves.
Even college students themselves have banded together in support of the legislation, which would allow anyone over the age of 21 with a concealed weapons permit the ability to carry a weapon on a public college or university.
In a recent op-ed, FSU student Rebekah Hargrove said she supports the legislation, not only as a college student, but especially as a young woman in an environment where sexual assault is all too common.
“A college campus is not holy ground that is free from alcohol, drugs, guns, rapists and violent criminals,” she wrote, noting her right to defend herself with her concealed weapon is rescinded as soon as she steps on a college campus.
“Rather, as a ‘gun-free zone,” it is a safe haven for rapists and violent criminals, leaving law-abiding students defenseless,” she continued.
Hargrove is the president of Students for Concealed Carry at FSU, and she’s not the only college student supporting the legislation. Student groups are popping up all over the state at Florida’s major colleges and universities.
At the University of Florida, students express concerns that there simply aren’t enough campus police officers to constantly protect the university’s 50,000 students. Just last week, there was an armed robbery on UF’s campus, prompting students to voice their concerns about the apparent lack of police presence when a crisis occurs.
“While we respect the sworn officers of UFPD and the work they do, 90 sworn officers are not enough to provide constant vigil over 50,000-plus students and another 5,000 faculty members,” the group wrote, then addressing UF’s police chief. “Chief Stump, end your political pandering and support responsible adults being personally responsible for our own safety. Your department clearly responds AFTER THE FACT, which provides no protection when needed.”
Many students and administrators, however, still aren’t totally comfortable with the idea of guns being allowed on college campuses.
Former Senate president and current FSU President John Thrasher said earlier this year he is personally opposed to allowing more guns on campuses, and insiders in Tallahassee said they wouldn’t have been surprised if Thrasher’s influence was still felt as the campus carry bills came to the chopping block during last year’s legislative session.
Other groups say the problem of increased campus violence isn’t going to be simply remedied by putting more guns in the hands of students.
“Our colleges and universities should be havens for learning, where students, faculty, staff and visitors should not need to worry about the threat of gun violence on their campuses,” said the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus. “Rather than asking what we need to do in an unfortunate active shooting situation, we need to pre-emptively ask how these individuals are accessing guns. Were they stolen? Bought illegally? Bought in a state that does not require background checks? Rather than arming students, faculty, and staff with guns, we need to focus our energy on preventing these situations from happening.”
Florida’s regular legislative session starts up in January, when state lawmakers will again have to duke it out on whether guns on campus will be a reality in the Sunshine State.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
