“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Those are the words of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, recent events have called into question the extent to which this right should be utilized, especially on school campuses.

Within the last month, there have been many significant incidents relating to gun violence and school safety on both high school and college campuses. 

“I don’t think it’s a political party issue, I think it’s an us-versus-them. I think it’s violence versus peace, and I think that’s a real issue that’s going on right now,” sophomore Aleksa Demby said. “Another school shooting in the country, it’s very unfortunate that it’s that common.”

Three weeks ago, a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and school in Minneapolis killed two students. 

On Sept. 10, two gun-related incidents happened. One shooting occurred at Evergreen High School in Colorado, which left three injured and wounded. The other occurred at Utah Valley University, which resulted in the death of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk from a bullet to his neck.

“When he was taken from us, we felt that it was a good man that was taken from this society, and that he really spoke for what all of us stand for,” said freshman Elijah Thompson about Kirk.

One of the things that makes college campuses unique is the difference in demographics and beliefs of the student population. This is one of the reasons Kirk would frequent college campuses. To have tough discussions with people who may or may not believe like him. 

Student Heaven Harris does not believe what Kirk stood for and expressed her opinion on the situation.  

“I can’t have too much sympathy for him, because, you know, there’s that one rule treat people how they want to be treated. And he said himself that gun violence is necessary and that it’s worth it,” Harris said. “He believes that you should give up your protection so you can keep your right to be able to have your Second Amendment.”

What Kirk stood for and the methods he employed to convey his message were controversial in nature. That still rang true after his death. 

“Because someone felt even slightly threatened or just didn’t like him, they were able to just be, like, ‘you know what? Let me just kill him.’ And I think, like, normalizing that is not good in itself,” Harris said. 

“Maybe this violence will continue, maybe there won’t be a light at the end of the tunnel. But this [Charlie Kirk vigil] has shown me that is a complete lie,” freshman Lisa Borodulin said. “There will be and there’s more people now, more than ever, that don’t want this country to fall.”

A day after Kirk was assassinated and the Evergreen High School shooting happened, a manifesto was sent out to all the students on UCF’s campus as a threat that the student who wrote it would shoot up the school. That same day it was reported there was another shooting threat at the United States Naval Academy. 

Students had varying opinions on how safety should be handled on school grounds in the future after these violent acts were committed. 

“I do think gun control should be way more strict because of all the shootings going on,” Harris said. “There are times where Second Amendment rights, with the open and carry laws should be practiced to genuinely help people, but not to just carry it around and use it whenever you feel even slightly threatened.”

Thompson believes it’s more of a First Amendment issue than a Second Amendment issue. 

“I don’t necessarily disagree or agree with gun reform. I think to a certain extent, it could be useful,” Thompson said. “Everybody has the right to freedom of speech, and we’re here to advocate for that.”

Sophomore Paul Tanis shared a common sentiment most conservatives express in the argument for gun control and gun reform. 

“Guns don’t fire themselves, it’s people who fire them,” Tanis said. “I think that we need to look at these, seriously, assess the type of people in the world today and what they’re thinking and kind of try and help change that.” 

Amidst these and other concerns from students, Rubi Olvera, coordinator of university communications & media relations, shared what FGCU does to protect the campus community when safety issues arise. 

“FGCU has safety protocols and procedures in place, and we look to current events to enhance what we do to protect campus, students, faculty, staff and the broader community,” said Olvera.

Additionally, the President’s Cabinet sent out an email to all faculty and students on Sept. 18 addressing the problem regarding free speech on campus and the protection of differing opinions without hostility more fully.

“We know discussions can sometimes be difficult, controversial, or even uncomfortable, but we will not tolerate harassment, intimidation, threats, or disruptions that harm our learning environment or endanger others,” the email said.

Senior Jake Malin proposed several solutions to improve safety at FGCU. 

“I do think firearm education should be a conversation, as there’s a lot of guns that are either aren’t secured properly or aren’t handled properly, I know a lot of the statistics for firearms include injuries and deaths, and I do feel like a lot of those could be prevented with proper storage, handling and education,” Malin said. 

He thinks young adults would benefit from a guest speaker or having an online course to teach proper measures to take before purchasing a gun. 

But Demby doesn’t think it’s that simple. 

“In the UK, they have very strong gun restrictions, and they’re stabbing each other,” Demby said. “Taking them away, there’s still violence, keeping them there’s violence. So it’s a difficult thing to completely be able to solve.”  

Since the violent current events have happened on school campuses, this calls into question how safe students feel on FGCU’s campus, since it’s hard to anticipate if similar events could ever happen here. 

“Sometimes I do worry [for my safety], especially being a minority,” Harris said.

Other students feel safe, but with some conditions. 

“I feel fairly safe, but like I feel like everyone feels safe until something happens, like you can never really predict anything like this,” sophomore Zarian Benjamin said.

Benjamin and his friend Charlie Garvey dodged a tragedy firsthand that has increased their awareness here at FGCU. 

“We were at FSU for a tennis tournament. We were there on a weekend, then we come back here, and three days later, the FSU shooting last year happened, and it’s like we were just there,” Garvey said. “We felt safe and those kids probably felt safe, and now they’re not here anymore.”  

Regardless of student opinion, the President’s cabinet assures that FGCU’s commitment to safety continues. 

“At FGCU, our campus is a place where ideas must be shared freely, explored openly and challenged respectfully. We are committed to fostering an environment where every member of our community – regardless of their personal views – can express themselves, engage with different perspectives and participate in meaningful dialogue without fear of hostility or harm,” the cabinet said in their email.

Student Resources Available:

University Police Department | (239) 590-1900

Office of Institutional Ethics & Compliance | (239) 745-4366 | [email protected]

Dean of Students Office | (239) 590-7900 | [email protected]

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) | (239) 590-7950 | [email protected]

Office of the General Counsel | (239) 590-1101 | [email protected]