“One student believes he knows the best way for students to protect themselves against criminals: a handgun. Senior Brint Hahn, the campus leader of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus at the University of Akron, disagrees with legislation that prohibits individuals from carrying concealed weapons on college campuses.”
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One student believes he knows the best way for students to protect themselves against criminals: a handgun.

Senior Brint Hahn, the campus leader of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus at the University of Akron, disagrees with legislation that prohibits individuals from carrying concealed weapons on college campuses.

I’m not saying everyone should have a gun, he said, adding, just responsible gun owners.

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC) is an organization that seeks to change laws so that students and faculty members can carry weapons on college campuses. It is not affiliated with the National Rifle Association or any political party.

Approximately 85 schools are currently represented by student leaders in the United States. Ten of those are located in Texas. Eight are in Ohio.

According to the SCCC Web site, the organization believes that the presence of weapons on campuses will make them safer.

After such tragedies as Columbine and Virginia Tech, it is abundantly clear that the only way to stop mass murderers is to have responsible citizens in the classroom and on campuses able to carry their licensed handguns.

Concealed weapons are prohibited in a number of places, such as churches, day-care centers, government buildings and bars.

But Hahn thinks the notion of concealed carry on campus might get support from the community, in light of the recent reports of crimes against students. Those who prey on students might not be so quick to do so if students were protecting themselves, he said.

The best deterrent is a community that can protect itself and is willing to do so.

Interest in concealed carry on campus has spiked around the country since the Virginia Tech shooting, Hahn said, although he is quick to point out that there is no real way to prevent such an incident.

However, he firmly believes that students should be able to protect themselves in the event something like that occurs. If students were allowed to carry weapons, Hahn pointed out, there is a greater chance that a situation such as the Virginia Tech shooting could be diffused more quickly.

Hahn realizes that some people consider concealed weapons on campus a radical idea. That’s understandable, he said, for people who haven’t been around guns or are not familiar with them.

Hahn has been around guns his entire life; his grandfather was a collector and Hahn began using them on hunting trips when he was about nine. Now 25, he is licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

The permit process is rather stringent, Hahn explained. He had to attend classes and take a written exam. He was also monitored and graded on his shooting ability as well as his proficiency in handling a weapon, such as cleaning it.

In order to qualify for a concealed carry permit, an extensive background check is performed. Violent or assault charges – even misdemeanors – would prohibit one from being licensed. Applicants also cannot have a conviction involving drugs on their record. They also would be denied if they’ve been convicted of resisting arrest within 10 years.

Hahn currently owns seven weapons, among them a Sig Sauer .45, a Glock 9mm and a Romanian AK-47.

Those involved in SCCC point to crime rates, arguing they create a need for concealed weapons on campus. And when crime occurs on campus, it tends to be big news.

On Friday, two men car-jacked a UA student in a parking lot at Buchtel Avenue and High Street. One of the men brandished a gun.

On Oct. 1, five juveniles between the ages of 13 and 16 reportedly attacked a 21-year-old student. One of the youngsters had a gun, police said.

Days before, on Sept. 28, two students were attacked and robbed at two different locations just four minutes apart. These incidents were the most recent in a fall semester already marked by violence.

The University of Akron, however, is not unique among college campuses.

Last week, a student at Moravian College in Pennsylvania was stabbed twice after she attempted to fight off a robber.

A student attending Missouri’s Drury University was robbed last week as she walked to her car. A man demanded the student’s purse while pointing a gun at her.

On Sept. 26, a student at St. John’s University in New York was apprehended after he was observed walking on campus with a rifle. He was also wearing a mask.

Hahn thinks these types of incidents could be avoided if students were allowed to arm themselves.

He said that the recent crimes involving UA students indicate that no one is safe when the criminal has a gun.

It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female or if you’re alone or in a group, he said.

If a robber has a gun, it doesn’t matter how many people he’s taking on but, Hahn pointed out, if the student has the gun, then he’ll probably be OK, even if he is up against a large group of assailants.

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” #1.1361717:429004721.jpg:20071009_guns.jpg:Brint Hahn’s weapons include a Glock 9mm and Sig Sauer .45.:Melissa Dunfee”