State lawmakers consider allowing university staff to carry guns on campus

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —

Florida lawmakers are considering a proposal to allow certain staff members at universities to carry guns on campus as part of the Student Guardian program, which was created in 2018 after the deadly Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

All of our six school districts currently use the program, and if it moves to college campuses, universities would select, train and license specific staff members to carry firearms.

Lawmakers began pushing for this proposal after a deadly shooting at Florida State University last year, where a student allegedly killed two people and wounded five others. They say students, parents and faculty reached out and sparked the idea to implement the program in universities, emphasizing the proposal's focus on safety and enabling staff to respond quickly and defend in shooter situations.

However, some professors have expressed concerns about the proposal, fearing it could lead to more dangerous situations. Emily Stewart, an assistant professor of geology at Florida State University, said, "Officers had their guns drawn because they didn’t know if there was another shooter. If I had walked out holding a weapon, that could have made a bad situation much worse."

The vote on the proposal is not yet finalized. If approved by the House committee, it will move to the full House for a vote.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.