AUSTIN, TEXAS – Wednesday, August 1 2018, marks two years since Texas’ campus carry law took effect at public universities and one year since it took effect at community colleges. During that time, no Texas college has reported a resulting fatality, injury, assault, threat, or suicide attempt.
Texas is one of six states—along with Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Georgia, and (as of February of this year) Arkansas—that allow anyone with the appropriate license* to carry a concealed handgun inside the buildings of public colleges, including in classrooms. Nationwide, such policies are in effect on more than 350 college campuses. After a combined total of more than 2,000 semesters of campus carry, not one of these institutions has reported a resulting act of violence.
Since 2007, when Students for Concealed Carry launched the national campus carry movement, the number of campus-carry campuses in the U.S. has increased more than tenfold. Mike Newbern, assistant director of public relations for SCC, commented, “We’re pleased but not surprised to see that campus carry has worked out exactly as we predicted.
*Since July 1, 2017, Kansas has allowed the unlicensed, concealed carry of handguns in campus buildings, including in college classrooms. No problems have been reported.
ABOUT STUDENTS FOR CONCEALED CARRY
Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) is a national, non-partisan, grassroots organization comprising college students, faculty, staff, and concerned citizens who believe that holders of state-issued concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same measure of personal protection on college campuses that current laws afford them virtually everywhere else. SCC is not affiliated with the NRA or any other organization. For more information on SCC, visit ConcealedCampus.org or Facebook.com/ConcealedCampus. For more information on the debate over campus carry in Texas, visit WhyCampusCarry.com or tweet @CampusCarry.