Tag Archives: Concealed Carry

Gun Rights, Politics, States Rights, US

Colorado Senate Passes Bill Allowing Concealed Carry Without a Permit

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Denver, CO— Legislation to carry a concealed handgun without a permit in the State of Colorado passed the state senate on Thursday in a party-line vote. Currently, Colorado allows residents to open carry without a permit, but advocates of SB18-097 believe legal gun owners should be allowed to conceal carry their firearm without having to pay licensing fees to the state or FBI.

“The idea behind constitutional carry is that you should be able to carry a concealed handgun without applying for government permission or paying an expensive fee, if you are otherwise legally able to carry a firearm,” bill co-sponsor Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton, said in a statement last month.

Colorado law currently prohibits gun registration in the state, but relies on local Sheriff’s offices to issue concealed-carry permits. The Denver Sheriff’s Department, for example, requires people to complete an information packet and numerous other documents, and to provide deputies a handgun training certificate verifying the individual has firearm training. Additionally, the person applying must have a valid Colorado identification and pay a $152 fee for the permit in Denver.

Current Colorado law classifies to knowingly carry a concealed weapon without a permit as a class 2 misdemeanor. The proposed legislation would allow anyone age 21 and over, with a legal gun, to be able to conceal their gun in public without having taken a training class or obtaining a permit, but the permit process would remain intact as to allow conceal-carry in other states with Colorado reciprocity laws.

[RELATED: Reality Check: Trump Did Not Make It Easier for Severely Mentally Ill People To Buy Guns]

Under the proposed law, conceal-carriers would be required to operate under the same rules as permit holders – which disallows individuals from carrying concealed firearms on public K-12 school grounds unless specifically permitted to do so.

Between January 2015 and December 2017, at least 627 cases involved a conviction for a person carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, according to a fiscal statement by the legislative counsel staff. The report states that 51,030 concealed carry permits were processed in 2017: 12,293 renewals and 38,737 new applications.

New concealed carry permits cost $39.50, with $10 going to the FBI and $29.50 going toward the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, while permit renewals cost $13, according to the fiscal impact statement and the state.

The bill now moves to the House, where a similar measure was immediately voted down in a Democrat-controlled House committee after it passed the Senate last year.

Gun Rights, States Rights, US

School Shooting Survivor Says Armed Teacher Could Have “Stopped the Threat”

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Parkland, Florida— While a number of students at Stoneman Douglas High School have called for stricter gun control following the deadly school shooting, 17-year-old Stoneman student Colton Haab told Fox News that he believes football coach Aaron Feis, who was reportedly killed while shielding students from gunfire, would have been able to neutralize the threat had he been allowed to carry his firearm on school grounds.

“If Coach Feis had had his firearm in school that day, I believe that he most likely could’ve stopped the threat,” Haab told Fox News. Haab is a Junior ROTC member who has been revered for shielding and directing as many as 70 kids to safety during the shooting.

Assistant football coach Feis was remembered by students and staff alike as a “hero” for turning himself into a human shield in order to save the lives of others.

“He died the same way he lived— he put himself second,” school spokesperson Denise Lehtio said. “He was a very kind soul, a very nice man. He died a hero.”

Haab explained that he saw Feis, who was reportedly a trained security guard in addition to being an assistant football coach, run toward the sound of the gunshots, only to later learn that Feis was killed as he tried to shield students from gunfire.

In an interview with Fox News, Haab said:

“I believe if we did bring firearms on campus to teachers that are willing to carry their firearm on school campuses—and they got their correct training for it—I think that would be a big beneficial factor for school safety. Because if Coach Feis had had his firearm in school that day, I believe that he most likely could’ve stopped the threat.”

An article from CNN reported that Haab, who is a member of the school’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), jumped into action upon hearing gunshots and directed around 70 students into a classroom where they proceeded to use bulletproof Kevlar mats from the JROTC’s marksmanship program to act as protection in case found by the gunman.

“We lined [the students] up into the wall and along the back of the wall…and from there I was standing with my first sergeant and I said, ‘these are kevlar, these are bulletproof material,’” Haab said. “We started moving the kevlar sheets forward.”

The Florida school shooting has reignited a wide-ranging debate as to how to most effectively stop the school shooting phenomena, with some in favor of stricter gun control laws while others support armed guards or allowing trained teachers to carry firearms on school grounds.

Haab recently told local reporters that he backed out of attending a CNN town hall focused on the Stoneman Douglas school shooting, claiming that his own prepared commentary was proposed by CNN to be replaced with “scripted” material.

Activism, US

Hundreds of Teachers Sign Up for Ohio Sheriff’s Concealed Carry Training

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Hamilton, OH— Butler County, Ohio Sheriff Richard K. Jones, in response to the school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, has reportedly begun offering free concealed carry classes and additional training for school teachers.

On February 18th he tweeted:

Based on a Facebook post on the Butler County Sheriff’s Office page, within 20 minutes posting his offer of free concealed carry classes, Jones received 50 emails.

https://www.facebook.com/ButlerCountySO/posts/1421060414683988

By February 20, the number of requests for concealed carry training had reached a staggering 300, forcing Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones to announce that the limit for the class had been reached, according to NBC 5. Class dates and times have not yet been made public.

“People in the schools need to be trained with firearms, period,” the outspoken Sheriff Jones said. “Even if you hate guns, you need to know about guns if you’re in the schools.”

NBC 5 reports that currently in Butler County, the Edgewood School District is the only one that allows certain administrators to be armed. Jones said he will use the eight-hour concealed carry class to educate teachers about firearms and school shootings.

“We’re going to talk about school shootings. We’re going to talk about the different types of guns, and we’re going to make it a very interesting and very thoughtful class,” Jones said.

Additionally, Jones said he plans on discussing the benefits of allowing teachers to carry with other school districts, but stressed that that decision ultimately lies with the school board.

“If the school boards want to give the authority to teachers to be armed…[they] can do that, they have the authority to do it, but I’m going to do my part, and I assume I’m probably the only one in the state of Ohio that’s doing that – but something has to happen,” Jones noted.

While Jones acknowledged that he does not have the authority to allow teachers to be armed, it’s reported that wants to do his part in helping teachers be prepared if their school board makes the decision to allow armed teachers.

While certainly in the minority, there are numerous public schools in the U.S. that allow teachers and administrators to carry concealed firearms, with the idea that a warning of armed staff would provide a stronger deterrent than a “gun-free” zone sign.

Editor’s Pick, Featured, Gun Rights

Report: Murder Rates Fall As Concealed Carry Permits Rise

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According to a new report, over the last eight years concealed handguns permits have increased from 4.6 million to over 12.8 million, while murder rates have decreased from 5.6 killings per 100,000 people to 4.2.

The report, released by the Crime Prevention Research Center on Wednesday, looked at the numbers from 2007 to 2015, and found that while concealed carry permits are at an all-time high, murder rates have dropped by about 25 percent.

The report also found that over the last year, “1.7 million additional new permits have been issued,” marking a 15.4 percent increase, which is the “largest ever single-year increase in the number of concealed handgun permits.”

Guns rights advocates, such as Larry Keene, the senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, told the Washington Times that the report negates the argument that “more guns lead to more violence.”

“It puts the lie to the myth promulgated by anti-gun individuals that somehow more law-abiding citizens carrying guns will lead to more crime,” Keene said. “In fact, quite the opposite is the case. More law-abiding citizens own firearms for self-protection, and crime continues to decline.”

While the Violence Policy Center claims that “Concealed carry killers are a threat to public safety,” and that “all too often, private citizens use their concealed handguns to take lives, not to save them,” the Washington Times noted that “concealed carriers are among the most law-abiding citizens in the country, even more so than police officers.”

According to the report, permits for women have increased by 270 percent and permits for men have increased by 156 percent since 2007, and as a result 5.2 percent of the total adult population now has a concealed handgun permit.

The number of permits obtained by minorities has also increased drastically, with the number of black permit holders rising from 10,389 in 2012 to 17,594 in 2014. The report found that black females were the fastest-growing concealed handgun permit group, increasing 3.44 times faster than white females.

The report also noted that in 10 states—Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Vermont and West Virginia—concealed carry permits are no longer required, which is a “major reason why legal carrying handguns is growing so much faster than the number of permits.”

A Gallup poll from Nov. 2014 found that 63 percent of Americans believe having a gun in their home makes it safer, which has nearly doubled from 35 percent in 2000.

A Pew Research poll from Dec. 2014 also found that 52 percent of Americans believe it is more important to protect “the right of Americans to own guns,” while 46 percent believe it is more important to control gun ownership, marking the first time in more than two decades that support for gun rights has surpassed support for gun control.

Featured, Gun Rights, States Rights

New Mississippi Law Allows Concealed Carry of Gun in Purse, Briefcase Without Permit

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On Wednesday, Mississippi’s SB 2394 took effect, a new law that relaxes the state’s concealed carry permit rules. The legislation removes the requirement that a citizen obtain a permit in order to transport a loaded or unloaded pistol or revolver in a fully-enclosed container such as a purse or briefcase.

Additionally, according to WDAM-TV, SB 2394 lowers fees for concealed carry permits from $100 to $80 for new applicants, from $50 to $40 for renewals, and from $25 to $20 for renewals by senior citizens. The law also exempts active-duty military personnel from having to pay to apply for a concealed carry permit.

State Senator Joey Fillingane (R-District 41), who co-authored the legislation, said that the final bill was a compromise, as gun rights supporters wanted to pass a broader constitutional carry bill that would more generally legalize the concealed carry of firearms without a permit. “The initial bill, as it started out, was far broader,” said Senator Fillingane. “I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of that particular bill.”

The legislation, which was backed by the National Rifle Association, was signed into law on April 9 by Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant.

An April statement by the anti-gun group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America said, “Governor Phil Bryant and the Mississippi legislature failed to recognize the dangers of passing SB 2394, and in doing so, have ultimately compromised the public safety of Mississippi families. We are terribly disappointed that Representative Gipson quietly amended and pushed through this dangerous bill allowing Mississippians to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public without a permit. He was probably hoping that we wouldn’t notice – but unfortunately for him, we did and we will remember when it comes time to head to the voting booth.”

State Representative Andy Gipson, who introduced the House version of the bill, said, according to Y’all Politics, “As may be seen, the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Legislature are committed to passing real, meaningful pro-Second Amendment legislation.”

Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement about the new law, “On behalf of the NRA and our five-million members, we thank Governor Phil Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves, House Speaker Philip Gunn and the Mississippi Legislature for their leadership over the last four years to allow citizens to more fully exercise their right to self-defense.“

Editor’s Pick, Featured, Gun Rights, Politics, States Rights, US

Texas House Passes Amended Campus Carry Bill

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On Tuesday, the Texas State House approved a bill that would require public universities to allow concealed handguns on campus. The bill, which originated in the Senate, was passed minutes before its midnight deadline. A final vote in the House, and further negotiations with the Senate will determine whether it is sent to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to be signed into law by June 1.

Senate Bill 11 was passed after House Republicans added language that exempted health facilities, let universities create “gun-free zones,” and made private colleges follow the lead of the public universities, according to the Texas Tribune.

CBS News noted that although the legislation looked like it was destined to fail, “with more than 100 amendments lined up in a Democratic effort to kill it,” Democrats removed the amendments about 25 minutes before the midnight deadline, and the measure was approved, 101-47.

The Texas Tribune noted that the House’s version of the bill is a “significant departure from the legislation that passed the Senate.”

According to the Houston Chronicle, the bill must be approved by a majority of House members one more time before it goes back to the Senate, where “differences would be ironed out in a conference committee,” and where “opponents of the legislation expect there could be deadlock.”

The Texas Tribune reported that Rep. Allen Fletcher (R-Houston) introduced the legislation on the House floor on Tuesday night, leaving lawmakers two and a half hours to debate more than 100 amendments that had been added by Democrats.

Although Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio), an opponent of the measure, brought a point of order against the bill, he withdrew his challenge after 30 minutes of discussion. Martinez Fischer said that he thought one of the two amendments added – requiring private universities to follow the lead of public universities – might be enough to kill the legislation before the final vote.

“Tomorrow morning there are going to be a number of powerful people — maybe alumni, donors, board members — who are going to say we better get sensible, practical and realistic about our gun policies in the state of Texas,” Martinez said.

Fletcher said he felt the legislation is necessary to ensure college students’ right to defend themselves. “The idea that this bill will increase any increase in violence is unfounded,” Fletcher said. “We should not unarm them or disarm them.”

Featured, Politics, States Rights, US

Kansas Governor Brownback Signs Constitutional Carry Bill into Law

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On Thursday, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed a constitutional carry bill into law that, starting July 1, legalizes the concealed carry of firearms by law-abiding individuals age 21 and older, whether or not they have obtained a permit. Effectively, the law lifts the pricey permit requirement that previously prevented some Kansans from lawfully exercising their constitutional right to bear arms in self defense. According to The Kansas City Star, Governor Brownback said, “We’re saying that if you want to [carry a concealed firearm] in this state, then you don’t have to get the permission slip from the government. It is a constitutional right, and we’re removing a barrier to that right.”

The state will continue to provide concealed carry permits for those who are interested in obtaining one in order to carry concealed firearms in one of the other 36 US states that recognize Kansas’ permits. The above-embedded video by KAKE-TV notes that, under the law, Kansas businesses retain the right to post signs prohibiting the concealed carry of firearms on their property.

Critics of the law decried the fact that concealed carriers will no longer be legally required to take an eight hour gun safety class. State Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D-Wichita) told The Kansas City Star, “That’s a major responsibility to carry a gun, whether it’s concealed or not. And it’s scary… I predict from the legislation that — and it’s going to go quick, it’s going to be July 1 — we’re going to see some accidents, possibly deaths.”

Kansas State Rifle Association president Patricia Stoneking said that her group has been working for ten years to pass the legislation. As a next step, she would like to see the age restriction on constitutional carry lowered to 18. Said Stoneking, “Eighteen-year-olds are allowed to open carry, and they go to war and put their lives on the line to protect this country… I believe we can lower the age to 18 at some point in the future. I think after everybody sees that there are not going to be any of the dire predictions coming true, and they relax a little bit, then we can talk about that.”

KAKE-TV reporter Ben Jordan said, “Governor Brownback has signed every major gun rights bill sent to him since he’s taken office.” Kansas is now the sixth US state to allow for the concealed carry of firearms without a permit.

Education, Politics, US

Could Concealed Carry Stop Rape on College Campuses?

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The debate over carrying concealed guns on college campuses is being looked at from a new angle, with advocates arguing that if students are allowed to carry a firearm, it could deter sexual assault.

The New York Times reported that although carrying concealed firearms on college campuses is illegal in 41 states, lawmakers in 10 states are pushing bills that would end the ban, and they are “hoping that the national spotlight on sexual assault will help them win passage of their measures.”

The 10 states include Florida, Indiana, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.

Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, who is sponsoring a bill for concealed carry on college campuses in Nevada, told the New York Times that she predicts her bill will pass, due to the fact that Nevada has both a Republican-controlled Legislature and a Republican Governor, and that if passed, it will make a major difference on college campuses.

“If these young, hot little girls on campus have a firearm, I wonder how many men will want to assault them,” Fiore said. “The sexual assaults that are occurring would go down once these sexual predators get a bullet in their head.”

As previously reported, Taylor Woolrich, a senior at Dartmouth University, advocated for concealed carry on her college campus after she was stalked by 67-year-old Richard Bennett, even with the presence of a restraining order.

“Dartmouth thinks banning weapons will keep students safe, but a gun ban isn’t going to stop him from attacking me,” said Woolrich. “If Dartmouth, a restraining order, and law enforcement can’t guarantee my safety, then I’m asking for the right to do so.”

John Foubert, an Oklahoma State University professor and the president of One in Four, a program that seeks to educate students about sexual assault on college campuses, told the New York Times that he thinks using sexual assaults to push for concealed carry “reflects a misunderstanding of sexual assaults in general.”

“If you have a rape situation, usually it starts with some sort of consensual behavior, and by the time it switches to nonconsensual, it would be nearly impossible to run for a gun,” Joubert said. “Maybe if it’s someone who raped you before and is coming back, it theoretically could help them feel more secure.”

On Monday, a bill to allow concealed carry on college campuses was passed by Florida’s Senate Criminal Justice Committee, with a 3-2 vote.

The bill’s sponsor, Committee Chairman Greg Evers told the Tallahassee Democrat that due to the number of registered sexual offenders living near Florida State University, he believes the bill will fix a safety issue on the campus.

“The problem is that in gun-free zones, that we have on college campuses right now, those gun-free zones are just an incubator for folks that won’t follow the law,” Evers said.

Crayle Vanest, a senior at Indiana University and the first woman on the national board of Students for Concealed Carry, told the New York Times that the group’s female membership has seen a dramatic increase.

“Universities are under a ton of investigation for how they handle sexual assaults,” said Vanest. “Our female membership has increased massively. People who weren’t listening before are listening now.”

Featured, Politics, US

California court ruling could bring about the end of conceal-carry restrictions

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A ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals could allow more citizens to obtain a conceal-carry permit, and advocates estimate about two million people will apply for permits thanks to the ruling.

Previously, people who applied for carry concealed permits had to have a reason for wanting the permit, which the court ruled was a violation of citizen’s Second Amendment rights.

Brandon Combs of the Calguns Foundation spoke to CBS San Fransisco, saying, “Sometimes they’ll say, ‘You know, prove you’ve already been assaulted and then we’ll give you a license or prove how much money you carry or what kind of jewelry you wear.’”

This ruling though gets rid of the requirement and will allow people to apply for a permit without such a hindrance.

Many have also spoken out after the ruling, including some officials, saying they will not challenge the courts.  San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore is one such official.

“Law enforcement’s role is to uphold and enforce the law,” said Gore, according to FOX News.  “Since becoming Sheriff, I have always maintained that it is the legislature’s responsibility to make the laws, and the judiciary’s responsibility to interpret them and their constitutionality.”

The ruling will not allow convicted felons or mentally ill citizens to possess or carry firearms though.  Firearms will also still be illegal to carry in places such as government buildings or schools.

“Some sheriffs are probably going to see this news as evidence their policies are wrong,” said Combs.  “But sheriffs and police chiefs in anti-gun jurisdictions may need more help seeing the light. We’ll be happy to help them, even if it means going to the Supreme Court.”

Education, Featured, Politics, US

Students Reprimanded for Handing Out U.S. Constitutions Outside “Free Speech Zone”

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Last week, four students at Southern Oregon University were told by administrators that they must stop handing out copies of the United States Constitution on campus, or else the Police would be called, and disciplinary action would taken against them.

The administrators confronted the students, who were affiliated with Students for Concealed Carry, and reprimanded them, due to the fact that they were handing out literature, in an area that was outside of the university’s designated “Free Speech Zone.”

Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) is a nonpartisan student organization that promotes students’ rights to carry concealed weapons on campus. One member of the group, Stephanie Keaveney, told Campus Reform that administrators alleged that the four representatives from SCC had caused an “immediate panic for the safety of students in the face of gun violence, or the promotion of such.”

“We encountered wild accusations that because the event was affiliated with SCC, there was legitimate fear for the imminent danger of students on campus,” Keaveney said.

The university’s family housing coordinator, Allyson Beck, was the first one to confront the students, who were handing out copies of the U.S. Constitution near an on-campus residence hall.

“We have our free speech zone,” said Beck. “I understand that you may not like it, but that’s where it is.”

The director of university housing, Tim Robitz, also approached the students. “I would very much like you to leave,” said Robitz. “If you would, please, because the students have the right to be able to come by here without you guys, you know, invading their space and asking them to do something.”

“Thank you for coming down here and explaining to us the unconstitutional policies here on campus, but we’re not going to move,” said one of the students from SCC.

Campus Reform reported that even though, as one student claimed, some of the administrators resorted to “personal attacks” and threatened disciplinary action, the students refused to leave, and the administrators eventually left them alone.

Although campus police claimed they had received a complaint from a student who said he felt “uncomfortable,” they did not ultimately confront the students. The members of SCC insisted that they had not heard any complaints.

“Students on this campus were in no way framing themselves to be a legitimate threat to safety or inciting unlawful behavior,” said Keaveney. “This action was only related to SCC in that its members on this campus believe in order to fight for our second amendment rights; we must first be free to exercise our first amendment rights.”

Watch the full video here:

 

Featured, Politics, US

Crime Rates in Chicago Plummet After IL Implements Concealed Carry

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Gun rights activists have often held up Chicago as an example of the failures of gun control. The city has historically had some of the strictest laws against gun ownership while also suffering under some of the worst crime rates in the US. In 2012, Chicago surpassed New York as America’s murder capital. However, after the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit struck down Illinois’ ban on concealed carry in December of 2012, a concealed carry program was implemented in the state this year, finally and for the first time allowing law-abiding Chicago residents to arm themselves in public against the city’s seemingly-perpetual crime wave.

According to The Washington Times, now that citizens in Chicago can legally defend themselves, the city’s historically disastrous crime rates have begun to plummet precipitously. Police department crime statistics note that, in the first quarter of 2014, the homicide rate in Chicago has dropped to a 56-year low. In 2014 so far, burglaries are down by 20%, auto theft rates have dropped by 26%, and robberies leading to arrests are down by 20%.

The Chicago Police Department wasted no time in declaring victory and claiming credit for the drop in crime, but Illinois State Rifle Association executive director Richard Pearson told The Washington Times, “The police department hasn’t changed a single tactic — they haven’t announced a shift in policy or of course — and yet you have these incredible numbers.” He feels that the drop in crime can at least in part be attributed to the implementation of concealed carry in Illinois. Said Pearson, “It isn’t any coincidence crime rates started to go down when concealed carry was permitted. Just the idea that the criminals don’t know who’s armed and who isn’t has a deterrence effect.”

So far, Illinois has issued 68,549 concealed carry licences. 28,552 Chicago residents have requested a permit. Permit holders must pay around $600 in fees and attend 16 hours of classes on gun safety.

It is also worth noting that Washington DC, another city which once featured stricter gun control laws, experienced a dramatic drop in crime rates after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of DC residents’ gun rights in the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller decision. 2008’s Heller decision also legalized gun ownership in the home for Chicago residents, and the Windy City experienced a similar drop in its murder rate following that landmark case. Now that the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has struck down Illinois’ ban on concealed carry, gun rights in the state have expanded further than just the home, allowing permit carriers to defend themselves in public. Though it is too early to conclusively determine exactly what is causing the reduction in crime, the shift in policy favoring gun rights appears to correlate with a sharp drop in Chicago crime rates.

Politics, US

School District Will Use “Deadly Force” to Protect Students

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Argyle, TX – When visitors enter the campus of a school in Argyle, Texas, they will be greeted by a sign, which warns, “Please be aware that the staff at Argyle ISD are armed and may use whatever force is necessary to protect our students.”

According to CBS Houston, the Argyle Independent School District approved the policy in January, choosing to “allow some teachers to act as the long arm of the law under the state’s Protection of Texas Children Act.”

The Protection of Texas Children Act was passed in May 2013. It permits the creation of school marshals, who carry concealed weapons and respond in emergency situations regarding active shooters.

Some parents in Argyle think the new enforcement in their children’s schools is right on track. One parent, Lacy Fenoglio, told CNN Wire, “I trust that the administrators of this school district will put my kid’s best interest at heart.”

“I think if a tragedy does occur, lives can be saved by guns being in the right hands,” said Fenoglio. “I think the teachers here might be able to stop something like that and life can be saved.”

Dr. Telena Wright, the Superintendent of Argyle ISD, told NewsFix that the names of the teachers armed with concealed weapons would not be released, due to safety reasons, and that those teacher who were carrying weapons, are required to have “continuous training.”

In January, Wright told the Dallas Morning News that having armed staff provides the answer to the question: “What about the first 1 to 2 minutes in a crisis situation where there’s an armed shooter?” Wright went on to say, “That seems to be a horrific situation that all schools across the nation are attempting to address.”

“This is our answer to how we best protect our students,” Wright said.

Education, Opinion, Politics, US

Dartmouth Student, Affected By Stalker, Speaks Out Against School’s No-Weapons Policy

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Hanover, NH- Taylor Woolrich, a 20-year-old Dartmouth College student, has expressed fear for her safety due to multiple experiences with a long-term stalker and is challenging the college’s no-weapons policy on the campus in hopes of being allowed to carry a concealed weapon.

Woolrich, a Dartmouth junior who lived in San Diego before attending the college, wishes to carry a concealed weapon because she says she’s been stalked by 67-year-old Richard Bennett for the past four years, beginning when she was working at a cafe while still in high school. Woolrich said that Bennett’s behavior quickly became alarming: Frequent visits from Bennett became day-long stakeouts where the man would follow her home from work.

The video above shows Woolrich’s speech at a Students for Concealed Carry conference in Washington, DC. Woolrich explained that she had initially tried to convince herself the Bennett’s advances were not malicious, but realized that his stalking was relentless.

“It escalated rather quickly. Coming into the coffee shop every day turned into sitting there for my entire shift. Getting onto the highway behind me at the entrance next to my house whenever I was coming into work at 5 a.m. Being there until I closed, and then following me home, to where I had to pretend to stop at the grocery store, things like that.”

Woolrich said Bennett went on to threaten her friends and showed up to events, such as scholarship pageants, that she was attending.

Woolrich described an incident where “he attacked, well attempted to attack, my then boyfriend in high school when I was 17 years old, and told him he should never speak to me again, and threw hot coffee in his face.”

Woolrich filed a restraining order against Bennett, but she said it didn’t amount to very much protection. According to Woolrich, Bennett was standing outside of the cafe the day after she filed the restraining order and chased her back to her car.

Later on, Woolrich said, Bennett took to social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn to stalk her during her first two years attending Dartmouth. She said he hired a private investigator to find her and her family. She said “after 18 months of not seeing this man, I got back to my parents’ house at 1:30 a.m., flying in from Dartmouth, and at 8:30 a.m., the next morning, he was knocking on my front door.”

Bennett was arrested after Woolrich called the police. Following Bennett’s arrest, a search turned up “what they like to call a rape kit in the back of his car,” Woolrich said. “It consisted of a sweatshirt, firewood, maps of the area, duct tape, a rope tied into a slip noose, hunting knives and various other items.”

While in prison, Bennett was interviewed by San Diego news station News10. Bennett claimed he was visiting Woolrich’s parents, who had relocated to avoid Bennett, not the young woman. Bennett abruptly ended the interview when asked about the “rape kit”.

August 2014 marks the month of the expiration of Woolrich’s restraining order, as well as a court appearance from Bennett. Woolrich hopes to be authorized by Dartmouth to carry a concealed weapon this fall when she returns to the campus. She noted that the safety and security department at Dartmouth knows about her situation and “were sympathetic“, but have not allowed her to violate the weapons policy at the college. She said “There’s no option. There’s no one to go to. They don’t want to hear my case.” Woolrich pointed out that the school’s security measures fall short.

Woolrich said she was told by Dartmouth security to request an escort, but she argued that “I’ve done this, and I’ve gotten responses such as, ‘You can’t keep calling us all the time,’ or ‘You can only call after 9 p.m.’ I’d like to say that my stalker doesn’t really care what time it is. He doesn’t care whether it’s light or dark, if I’m on the east coast or the west coast or another country.”

In a statement, Dartmouth maintained that “The safety and security of all Dartmouth students is a top priority. Any student who reports being stalked is provided with individualized attention and heightened protection. If there are improvements to our security services that we can make, we will.”

Dartmouth spokesman Justin Anderson said of their weapons policy, “It’s strictly prohibited and we are not in the habit of making exceptions.”

Woolrich argued that “Dartmouth thinks banning weapons will keep students safe, but a gun ban isn’t going to stop him from attacking me.”

“If Dartmouth, a restraining order, and law enforcement can’t guarantee my safety, then I’m asking for the right to do so,” she said.