I wonder how many beers had been consumed prior to the incident.

Mr. Ellis is correct, mass shootings on campus just don't happen that often. But to use that as an argument against allowing students/faculty/staff to carry legally concealed firearms on campus if they choose to do so is ridiculous.

Can anyone honestly say crime doesn't occur on campus? I'm not talking about high profile Virginia Tech type mass shootings, I'm talking about rapes, robberies, assaults, etc. If these types of crimes were unheard of on campuses, then maybe the anti-CCW crowd might have a case for saying CCW isn't necessary. But they're not unheard of. So I would say there is a legitimate justification for people wanting to take measures to protect themselves.

CSU has allowed legally concealed firearms on its campuses for years and the sky hasn't fallen. In all that time, no one has died from "gun accidents, escalation of arguments, stolen weapons, and other types of mortality." In fact, there have never been any mishaps at all involving a legally concealed firearm. Surely if CSU students/faculty/staff can handle the responsibility, their CU counterparts could as well.

I guess I'm just not sure what the issue here is.

Boulderite,

I would argue the "fearful paranoid individuals" are people such as yourself who are against concealed carry.

In all the years that CCW has been allowed on campuses in CO, no one has ever used a CCW illegally or recklessly, and there have never been any mishaps involving a CCW. So what exactly is the justification for prohibiting students/staff/faculty from carrying legal firearms if they choose to do so? Why are so many in the anti-gun crowd so afraid to let this practice continue? Paranoia perhaps?

On the other hand, can you honestly say crime doesn't occur on campus? I'm not talking about high profile Virginia Tech type shootings, I'm talking about rapes, robberies, assaults, etc. If these types of crimes were unheard of on campuses, then maybe the anti-CCW crowd might have a case for saying CCW isn't necessary. But they're not unheard of. So I would say there is a legitimate justification for people wanting to take measures to protect themselves. Yes?

So tell us again, who are the "fearful paranoid individuals?"

There are tens of thousands of people in CO, and millions of people across the country with legally concealed firearms. Even with all these people carrying, it's my understanding the violent crime rate is actually going down, not up. The violent crime rate in 2008 was the lowest it's been in over 30 years, and the preliminary estimates for 2009 has the violent crime rate even lower.

So I'm not sure where you're coming up with this "increased violence" drivel. Do you have some facts to back that up?

I'm just glad you were able to get the word out that I and tens of millions of other gun owners who have never killed or attempted to kill anyone are using our handguns incorrectly.

Here I've been using them for recreational purposes all these years, not realizing that their only purpose is for killing people. Boy do I feel foolish.

The sole purpose of a 9mm is to kill a human being??? OMG! I've been doing wrong!

I bought my first 9mm handgun over 20 years ago. I’ve acquired several more since then. In all those years I’ve put countless thousands of rounds through those handguns and never killed anything other than paper targets, milk jugs, and tin cans.

I know a lot of people who own 9mm handguns and none of them have ever killed anything other than paper targets, tin cans, etc.

Thanks mountain2884 for sharing your "expertise" and letting us know we’ve been using those handguns incorrectly all this time.

R.I.P. Ronnie.

Good post, rimrockd.

Unfortunately, it will fall on deaf ears as many on both sides of the debate seem fixated on VT-type rampages and other highly publicized mass shootings.

Wow. How does my previous post rate a thumbs down? All I did was quote a state statute.

18-12-105.5. Unlawfully carrying a weapon - unlawful possession of weapons - school, college, or university grounds.

(1) A person commits a class 6 felony if such person knowingly and unlawfully and without legal authority carries, brings, or has in such person's possession a deadly weapon as defined in section 18-1-901 (3) (e) in or on the real estate and all improvements erected thereon of any public or private elementary, middle, junior high, high, or vocational school or any public or private college, university, or seminary, except for the purpose of presenting an authorized public demonstration or exhibition pursuant to instruction in conjunction with an organized school or class, for the purpose of carrying out the necessary duties and functions of an employee of an educational institution that require the use of a deadly weapon, or for the purpose of participation in an authorized extracurricular activity or on an athletic team.

(3) It shall not be an offense under this section if:

(a) The weapon is unloaded and remains inside a motor vehicle while upon the real estate of any public or private college, university, or seminary; or

(b) The person is in that person's own dwelling or place of business or on property owned or under that person's control at the time of the act of carrying; or

(c) The person is in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance and is carrying a weapon for lawful protection of that person's or another's person or property while traveling; or

(d) The person, at the time of carrying a concealed weapon, held a valid written permit to carry a concealed weapon issued pursuant to section 18-12-105.1, as said section existed prior to its repeal; except that it shall be an offense under this section if the person was carrying a concealed handgun in violation of the provisions of section 18-12-214 (3); or

(d.5) The weapon involved was a handgun and the person held a valid permit to carry a concealed handgun or a temporary emergency permit issued pursuant to part 2 of this article; except that it shall be an offense under this section if the person was carrying a concealed handgun in violation of the provisions of section 18-12-214 (3); or

(e) The person is a peace officer, as described in section 16-2.5-101, C.R.S., when carrying a weapon in conformance with the policy of the employing agency as provided in section 16-2.5-101 (2), C.R.S.; or

(h) The person has possession of the weapon for use in an educational program approved by a school which program includes, but shall not be limited to, any course designed for the repair or maintenance of weapons.