February 15, 2010

CROTON FALLS, NY – A biology professor with a concealed handgun shot and killed three fellow biology professors and injured three others on February 12. The shooting occurred during a biology department staff meeting on the University of Alabama-Huntsville campus. The alleged shooter was upset because she had been denied tenure by the university. Among the victims was the chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences. No students were involved in the shooting.

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus issued the following statement in connection with this shooting.

“We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and the University of Alabama-Huntsville community.

“This incident shows us once again that any angry individual with a concealed handgun can commit mass murder wherever people gather – workplaces, shopping malls, churches, and schools. It also shows the tragic consequences that result when guns are brought into a confrontational situation. Studies show that where there are more guns, there are more gun deaths and injuries.

“The tragedy of this incident is not only that three people are dead and three others are injured (two critically), but also that a Harvard-educated university professor, wife, and mother of four children will likely spend the rest of her life in prison. All because she brought a gun into the workplace during an argument.”

While school shootings such as the recent shooting at UAH receive a great deal of national attention, in the universe of gun violence, such incidents are relatively rare. The fact is that America’s educational institutions are among the safest environments for students, faculty, and staff. Much safer than the communities that surround them. A Dept of Justice study found that 93 percent of violence against students occurs off campus. This is due in no small part to the fact that nearly all colleges and universities have policies that prohibit firearms on campus.

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus is urging colleges and universities to band together to oppose the gun lobby’s push to allow guns on college campuses. To date, more than 120 colleges and universities in 30 states , including the University of Alabama-Huntsville, have joined the campaign.

Guns on College Campuses Hits Wall of Opposition in 2009