Just had a drive by in front of a school in Iowa. Not sure if an armed teacher would have helped, but it wouldn’t hurt…
Regular Utah Concealed Firearm Permit Holders
It is LEGAL to carry a firearm in and on the grounds of any;
- Public or private elementary or secondary school (kindergarten through 12th-grade), including on the grounds of any of those schools. This also includes Charter Schools and Religious schools
- Public or private institutions of higher education (colleges and universities) including on the grounds of any of those schools
- Preschool or child care facility
The philosophy around here is that nobody knows who’s carrying. The instructor at my CCW class is an 8th grade teacher. For the most part I don’t think any of the teachers make too big of a deal out of it.
On kind of an interesting note:
Yes, it is true there is a federal law known as the “Gun-Free School Zone Act” (see below) that prohibits firearms within a school zone. It says it is unlawful for any individual to knowingly possess a firearm in a school zone unless the individual is licensed by the State in which the school zone is located. That means to have a firearm in a school zone, which is 1,000 feet beyond the boundaries of a school, you must have a Utah concealed firearm permit. If you do not have a concealed firearm permit the firearm must be unloaded and in a locked container, or locked firearms rack that is on a motor vehicle. Federal laws are enforced by the Department of Justice (DOJ) federal law enforcement officers. States cannot enforce federal law which means Utah law enforcement officers cannot charge you with violating federal law.
Because Utah does not enforce the “Gun-Free School Zone Act”, as explained above, it is not illegal to carry a firearm in the school zone or have a firearm in your vehicle while driving through the school zone. There is no one in the history of any record that has been charged with this federal law in Utah unless they were committing another criminal offense and this would be used as an enhancement to that charge.
I think the fact that a school is not a gun free zone is a deterrent. My wife is an elementary school teacher and she tells me she doesn’t feel confident that many of the teachers are responsible to carry guns.
We just had a shooting at a high school here in the Kansas City area. The resource officer and an assistant principle were wounded before the resource officer wounded and incapacitated the shooter who was a student. People are going to enter schools with weapons so it only makes sense that people inside the school are armed also. If one of my kids’ teachers is confident and willing to protect the kids I am all in supporting them.
We need laws like Utah’s law in ALL STATES.