Renewed Push for Guns on College Campuses Amid Recent Shootings
In light of a troubling series of school shootings across the U.S., Republican lawmakers are ramping up efforts to permit firearms on college campuses, aiming for legislative changes in 2026.
Last week, a convicted felon linked to ISIS opened fire at Old Dominion University in Virginia, resulting in the death of a teacher and injuries to two others before being restrained by ROTC cadets.
Earlier, in December, a gunman targeted the engineering building at Brown University in Rhode Island, claiming the lives of two students and injuring nine during final exams. This suspect later killed an MIT professor at their residence near Boston.
While it’s uncertain if armed civilians could have intervened effectively in these incidents, proponents argue that having armed students and faculty members could have led to a quicker resolution.
Opponents of gun ownership on campuses contend that increasing firearms in educational settings heightens the risk of violent incidents and accidents. Nevertheless, lawmakers are preparing to review college gun legislation in at least eight states this year, including Florida, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
In Florida, for instance, a proposed bill would enable students, faculty, and staff to carry guns on public university campuses. Additionally, a similar bill, awaiting the governor’s approval, would allow trained faculty and staff to carry firearms on campus.
Rep. Michelle Salzman (R-Fla.), who experienced a mass shooting at Florida State University in 2025, noted that students felt helpless in the situation. “They really wanted to help,” she recounted, expressing the frustration of students wanting to protect their friends but feeling powerless in such environments.
Meanwhile, Louisiana lawmakers have put forward a comprehensive bill that would permit any legal adult to carry a firearm on college campuses, effectively removing such institutions from designated gun-free zones.
State Republican Rep. Danny McCormick, a co-author of the legislation, maintains that it aligns campus regulations with the state’s existing gun laws. More than a dozen states already permit some form of firearms carry on campus, such as Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, and Texas, though the rules differ widely.
West Virginia only recently allowed permit holders to carry on campus, and university leaders expressed serious concerns regarding the potential public safety and financial implications of such legislation. They pointed out that introducing guns into already stressful environments could have unforeseen consequences and may also escalate the risk of suicide.
