10-09-2015, 01:22 PM
Good Guys With and Without Guns
The carry laws in Oregon are a bit confusing. Campuses aren't exactly gun-free zones by law. Some schools have policies that make guns in classrooms prohibited.
But, they can still be carried on other parts of campus, is my understanding. And, some gun enthusiasts in the state carry concealed guns in class despite the school policy because they say state law gives them the right.
So, it's kind of interesting what went down during the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon last week.
![[Image: 445290747_1807908312.jpg?itok=GcIPkPP3]](https://knpr.org/sites/default/files/public/styles/thumbnail/public/images/npr-story/445290747_1807908312.jpg?itok=GcIPkPP3)
^ Chris Mintz, 30, is a student at the college. Mintz, an Army veteran, tried to block the door and stop the gunman. He was unarmed and was shot in the back, stomach, hands and legs - 7 times.
Mintz is recovering and being hailed a hero. A GoFundMe page established by a family member has raised over $800k. Source: https://www.gofundme.com/s75ge9y4
![[Image: mqdefault.jpg]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UwL4_KDDuhg/mqdefault.jpg)
Meanwhile, ^ John Parker, also a military veteran and student at Umpqua Community College, was on campus when the shootings began. He and his friends were carrying concealed weapons and decided not to intervene.
Parker told reporters that he does indeed carry a handgun in case “I’m in close proximity” to an incident where he can legitimately help another person, but he was also quick to say that he is not the kind of person who believes that “there’s always somebody out there behind your back ready to do something like this.”
Even though he and other armed students had both the training and the firepower to rush into the scene and confront, Parker told MSNBC:
“Luckily we made the choice not to get involved. We were quite a distance away from the building where this was happening. And we could have opened ourselves up to be potential targets ourselves, and not knowing where SWAT was, their response time, they wouldn’t know who we were. And if we had our guns ready to shoot, they could think that we were bad guys.” Source: http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/umpqua...7437763914
The carry laws in Oregon are a bit confusing. Campuses aren't exactly gun-free zones by law. Some schools have policies that make guns in classrooms prohibited.
But, they can still be carried on other parts of campus, is my understanding. And, some gun enthusiasts in the state carry concealed guns in class despite the school policy because they say state law gives them the right.
So, it's kind of interesting what went down during the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon last week.
^ Chris Mintz, 30, is a student at the college. Mintz, an Army veteran, tried to block the door and stop the gunman. He was unarmed and was shot in the back, stomach, hands and legs - 7 times.
Mintz is recovering and being hailed a hero. A GoFundMe page established by a family member has raised over $800k. Source: https://www.gofundme.com/s75ge9y4
Meanwhile, ^ John Parker, also a military veteran and student at Umpqua Community College, was on campus when the shootings began. He and his friends were carrying concealed weapons and decided not to intervene.
Parker told reporters that he does indeed carry a handgun in case “I’m in close proximity” to an incident where he can legitimately help another person, but he was also quick to say that he is not the kind of person who believes that “there’s always somebody out there behind your back ready to do something like this.”
Even though he and other armed students had both the training and the firepower to rush into the scene and confront, Parker told MSNBC:
“Luckily we made the choice not to get involved. We were quite a distance away from the building where this was happening. And we could have opened ourselves up to be potential targets ourselves, and not knowing where SWAT was, their response time, they wouldn’t know who we were. And if we had our guns ready to shoot, they could think that we were bad guys.” Source: http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/umpqua...7437763914