Two Gonzaga students have been put on probation after using a pistol to drive an intruder from their on-campus apartment.
The confrontation made national headlines and is prompting Gonzaga to review its weapons policy.
On Oct.24 a homeless man came try to force his way inside Erik Fagan and Daniel McIntosh’s apartment. Fagan, 21, reportedly scared the man away with a a loaded 10 mm Glock pistol. He has a concealed weapons permit.
When campus security arrived at the scene, the gun was confiscated.
Students are not allowed to have guns in their homes if they live on campus or in a university-owned apartment. The university discipline board on Friday found Fagan and McIntosh responsible for two violations: possessing weapons on school grounds and putting others in danger by the use of weapons, according to news reports.
What do you think? Should GU allow students living on campus to carry guns?
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I voted a provisional “yes” with the following caveats. If it is the case that security is inadequate for non-dorm residences, and as it is legal to own guns (though how about some mandatory safety training and appropriate registration, as we do with cars–darn, the IRA may be down on me for that one), then perhaps appropriate leeway should be given for such situations. I’m not a gunowner myself, so have no dog in this hunt, but it would seem there are situations where the legally obtained firearm ought to be available for the purpose for which it was intended, no?
An interesting world we have where one may migrate gun in hand to and from the gun free Gonzaga and Starbucks.
Point of vocabulary: the question, as worded, is whether students should be allowed to “carry” guns, but in gun-land, ‘carrying’ usually implies actually leaving your home with a weapon in an accessible holster, pocket, etc, which didn’t happen in this example. I’m comfortable answering ‘no’ to that question, but on GU forbidding students to keep guns in their apartments, I’m more conflicted. Given the choice between storing a gun in a rental storage space somewhere or keeping it in my own closet, I think it would be more responsible to keep it at home, where I’d at least know if it went missing.
Yes, thank you Charlie. I suppose “bring” would have been a better way to phrase the question.
If they have housing provided without security, in the neighborhood that has a documented history of violence, especially against women, the rule needs amending.
If there had been an attempted rape and a young woman fended off this felon with a pistol, than I’m sure the dialogue would be different.
I’m feeling a rub of reverse sexism in this whole thing.
Eric, I imagine the ‘reaction’ comes down to the fact that there’s a police report that makes it clear the students were in violation of the written policy. If the students were women, maybe the public reaction would have been more sympathetic, but I’d hardly call that sexism.
This is the hazard of trying to over-regulate and selectively enforce; Sometimes you have to enforce a stupid rule to save face.
I celebrate that good news that no young people were harmed, violated, murdered, raped or burglarized by this convict. They exercised mature restraint, nobody was shot or killed.
Goodness, if it was my boys I’d be so grateful. If my daughter was next door and I’d be thankful too.