Should Concealed Weapons Be Allowed In Schools

Eight states currently have laws that allow students and faculty to carry concealed weapons on campuses. In 24 other states, individual colleges can decide whether or not to allow firearms on the premises. (“Death Statistics Belie Impact of Children's Gun Injuries”) The debate involving if concealed weapons should or should not be allowed on college Universities, has been active since the early 90’s. In fact, school shootings in the United States have occurred as early as the 18th and 19th century. The first college shooting that occurred in the United States was July 26th, 1764 in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Since 2013, there has been 142 school shootings in the United States, and since 2008 there has been 11 school shootings in the state of Illinois. (“Gun Control Overview”) Currently, Illinois prohibits the
Suicidal behavior starts around the age of 16 and peaks when an individual is in their mid 20’s. (“School Violence: Reported School Shootings and Making Schools Safer”) The Harvard Study brought to the light and shows that if students have access to weapons it can increase the suicide chances. Unfortunately, 1/10 students have seriously thought about committing suicide and when looking at schools that allow concealed weapons on campus, that statistics increase to 3/10 students. ("Faggots, Fame and Firepower": Teenage Masculinity, School Shootings, and the Pursuit of Fame”) In one study of 645 college campuses, guns were used to assist in estimate, a third of suicides by male students. Universities are supposed to be institutions where parents feel comfortable to send their child, especially students who are out of state, not a community where parents have to worry if their child is safe or not. ("Faggots, Fame and Firepower": Teenage Masculinity, School Shootings, and the Pursuit of