CHARLOTTE — Two gun-related incidents that triggered two lockdowns on the College of North Carolina Chapel Hill lower than a month aside have raised the query: Ought to college students be allowed to hold weapons on campus to guard themselves?
[ ALSO READ: Suspect charged in connection to 2nd UNC Chapel Hill lockdown ]
The newest incident occurred simply final Wednesday. Police arrested Mickel Harris, 27, and charged him with having a gun on academic property. Harris is being accused of going right into a bagel store within the pupil union constructing with a gun and threatening to kill an worker. The campus was then placed on lockdown previous to officers arresting Harris, who continues to be in jail.
Simply three weeks earlier than that, UNC Chapel Hill police say a graduate pupil shot and killed his professor in a lab on campus, forcing your entire faculty to be locked down. That pupil is now dealing with a first-degree homicide cost.
At the moment, in North Carolina, it’s unlawful to hold a gun on any faculty campus. However following two gun-related incidents at UNC-Chapel Hill, certainly one of our state’s strongest politicians is saying it could be a good suggestion to permit college students to arm themselves.
Right here in Queen Metropolis, 1000’s of scholars are on the campus of UNC Charlotte; legally nobody needs to be carrying a gun.
“Actually, I don’t assume weapons needs to be on campus in any respect,” Apoorva Joshi, a pupil, says.
North Carolina Home Speaker Tim Moore desires college students to have the choice to hold a gun. Simply days in the past, he spoke to Ch. 9 information companions at The Charlotte Observer.
“You’re not simply going to snap your fingers and eliminate weapons; that’s not actuality; criminals are going to have weapons; one of the best deterrent in opposition to a prison with a gun is an effective man with a gun,” Moore mentioned.
[ ALSO READ: Faculty member killed in UNC building; suspect in custody, chancellor says ]
Eddy Yuzik, one other pupil at UNC Charlotte, believes that the suggestion may match.
“I consider there are college students which can be completely able to going by way of the coaching and carrying a firearm responsibly,” Yuzik mentioned.
Nonetheless, many college students agree that they wouldn’t belief themselves or their classmates to hold a gun, particularly on a big campus the place you’re not aware of everybody.
“No, completely not; there are literally thousands of folks right here; I solely know a number of,” Austin Stubblefield mentioned.
“There are plenty of actually dumb individuals who love to do silly issues at two within the morning when they’re drunk, and I don’t assume they need to have a gun,” Anna Benbow mentioned.
Channel 9 has reached out to Home Speaker Moore to see if there may be any effort he’s prepared to place ahead for a change in regulation. We’re nonetheless ready to listen to again.
(WATCH BELOW: Suspect arrested, ‘all clear’ given after incident at UNC-Chapel Hill)
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