Guns

Two people were shot and killed on Thursday afternoon at Virginia Tech, bringing back memories of the campus’ 2007 shooting, which left 33 people dead and was the deadliest campus shooting in the nation’s history.

Russ Nieli GS '79 calls for Public Safety to be armed.

There exists a compromise position that takes what is best from each side: Public Safety officers should be given limited access to firearms by allowing them to keep firearms in safe lockboxes installed inside Public Safety patrol cars.

Called to campus in summer 2009, Borough police officers readied their patrol rifles and began searching the campus for a gunman. Walking alongside the Borough officers were the University’s Public Safety officers. But instead of carrying the handguns and assault weapons as did the Borough officers, Public Safety officers were unarmed.

Within the span of five months in 2009, three gun scares  — none of which involved real guns — hit the University campus, each renewing calls to allow the University’s unarmed Public Safety officers to carry guns.