Why Allow Concealed Carry in Schools?

Compiled by Sean Sheridan

1. Multiple studies show reductions in violent crimes and crimes in general where concealed carry has been allowed. ^{1, 2, 3, 4}
2. A recent examination of FBI reports on active shooter events revealed that when regular armed citizens have been present, they were successful in reducing injuries and fatalities 94% of the time and stopping the event altogether 75% of the time with 0 innocent bystanders shot by accident.⁵
3. The Crime Prevention Research Center has found that 94% of mass public shootings occur in gun free zones. ⁶
4. Citizens with a Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permit have been shown to be the most law abiding and responsible segment of the population in every state that keeps records of convictions and license revocations, including the Texas Department of Public Safety and have been shown in Texas to be more law abiding per-capita than even police. ^{7, 8}
5. No one will fight harder to end a threat than the people in immediate danger.
6. Police and security have to come from somewhere else after being told something is happening. The real first responders are the people already there.
7. While active shooter training is desirable for those who are tasked with pursuing and engaging a shooter, gun owners with no training and license holders with no more training than mandated by their state successfully defend themselves every day in the US and tactical training, including clearing rooms and hallways, is not needed for people who are not going looking for a shooter but merely defending themselves in place if a shooter finds them.^{9, 10, 11}
8. School shooters are not the only reason to allow concealed carry of defensive weapons. Parents, teachers, and staff all come to schools and district buildings from somewhere and many even use public transit. Security does not walk everyone to their cars once they leave the building and they certainly don’t provide escorts when walking or taking a bus or train to or from their home.
9. Allowing CCW holders to carry in schools and district administrative buildings costs absolutely zero. No budget amendments or allocations of funds are necessary.
10. Allowing CCW holders to carry in schools and district administrative buildings does not prevent, impede, delay, or interfere with the implementation of any other security measures.
11. Twenty states allow teachers to carry guns on school property to varying degrees.¹² No increases in crimes in schools have been attributed to these laws and policies and there have been no injuries as a result.¹³

Sources

1. Lott, Jr., J., & Mustard, D. (1997). Crime, Deterrence, and Right‐to‐Carry Concealed Handguns. The Journal of Legal Studies,26(1), 1-68. doi:10.1086/467988
2. Moody, C. & Marvell, T. (2008). The Debate on Shall-Issue Laws. Econ Journal Watch, Sept. 2008, 269-93.
3. Wilson, John Q. (2005). “Dissent” in Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review, ed. Charles F. Wellford, John V. Pepper, and Carol V. Petrie (Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2005), appendix A.
4. Helland, E. & Tabarrok, A. (2004). Using Placebo Laws to Test “More Guns, Less Crime.” Advances in Economic Analysis and Policy, 4, no. 1
5. Paulsen, Jacob (2018). Armed Citizens are Successful 94% of the Time at Active Shooter Events [FBI]. com. https://www.concealedcarry.com/news/armed-citizens-are-successful-95-of-the-time-at-active-shooter-events-fbi/?fbclid=IwAR2dEHD1uiTB0t_-K8_HiGU4rjRP2xD2Hk_DSOqIoL2Sh04jV07wl0_wMgg
6. Crime Prevention Research Center (2018). UPDATED: Mass Public Shootings Keep Occurring in Gun-Free Zones: 97.8% of attacks since 1950. https://crimeresearch.org/2018/06/more-misleading-information-from-bloombergs-everytown-for-gun-safety-on-guns-analysis-of-recent-mass-shootings/
7. Texas Department of Public Safety (1996-2017). Handgun Licensing Conviction Rates Reports. http://www.dps.texas.gov/rsd/LTC/reports/convrates.htm
8. Crime Prevention Research Center (2015). Updated: Comparing conviction rates between police and concealed carry permit holders. https://crimeresearch.org/2015/02/comparing-conviction-rates-between-police-and-concealed-carry-permit-holders/
9. Cramer, Clayton E., & Burnett D. (2012). Tough Targets: When Criminals Face Armed Resistance From Citizens. A Cato Institute White Paper.
10. Leshner, A., Altevogt, B., Lee, A., McCoy, M., & Kelley, P. (2013). Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence. The National Academies Press, 15-16.
11. Kleck, G., & Gertz, M. (1998). Carrying Guns for Protection: Results From the National Self Defense Survey. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Vol 35, Issue 2, pp. 193 – 224
12. Nikki Goesser, “A fighting chance to stop school shootings” (October7, 2020). https://crimeresearch.org/2020/10/in-the-missoulian-a-fighting-chance-to-stop-school-shootings/
13. Crime Prevention Research Center (2018). States that allow school staff and teachers to carry guns. https://crimeresearch.org/2018/03/states-allow-teachers-staff-carry-guns/

Copyright 2022 Gun Owners of America