Campus Carry in Texas

Campus Carry in Texas

By Morgan Henkhaus

College students across Texas will soon have the opportunity to carry holstered handguns openly on campus.

Granted by the Second Amendment, Texas Lawmakers have passed “open carry,” which allows individuals with a license to carry holstered handguns openly in locations that allow concealed handguns.  With that being said, college campuses in Texas are next on having “campus carry” on public institutions of higher education.

According to freshman Ruben Garcia believes age is an important factor to make campus carry potentially dangerous.

“I feel as if college students is still too young of an age to have a license for a gun, especially around so many other kids and different influences,” Garcia said.

Others like Christian Wallace, native from Andrews, Texas, who thinks gun safety could be regulated on campus if approved. The graduate student has been here since May 2010, and since then, sees no need for campus carry. 

Christian Wallace

“I think schools, just like private businesses should have the right to make up their own lines about this opinion and I think it should be the students who have that right to make up their minds,” Wallace said. “Personally, I am not comfortable with more guns on campus, so I would at least like the opportunity to as a student to decide. If the majority of the people are attending the school that want guns, then that’s fine if that’s the majority. But if not, then I don’t think it should be over of heads with litigation saying that its ok.”

Some students feel that campus carry could open a new door to violence, the opposite of safety. Andres Davila, a senior at Texas State thinks that having guns on campus could lead to escalated situations, or prevent students from pursuing an education.   

“I am against guns on campus. I don’t see a need for it,” Davila said. “If you feel so threatened in the world that you have to arm yourself, then that is more of an internal issue. You could potentially hurt or even end someone’s life.”

The notion that guns on campus would maintain safety leaves students with mixed feelings. Abdul Nono, freshman studying industrial engineering, thinks guns on campus would be a negative impact. 

"I don't think it would be safe for students to have guns on campus, “Nono said. “Even with the right training and education it is a bad idea. Police should be the only ones with guns and they go through much more training." 

Mary Brennan, photo by Ashley Hunt

Not only do the students feel negatively towards concealed handguns on campus, so do the faculty members of the university. Mary Brennan with the Department of History, feel that guns shouldn’t be permitted on campus throughout the country. 

“I have seen kids with their emotions out of control who stay up all night with red bull during finals week, high strung and emotional and we are handing them a weapon,” Brennan said. “It is not safe.”



Alexander Villalobos, Sergeant for the University Police Department, says the state of Texas does not currently have required training that would prepare licensees for a shootout. 


“In the profession, we swear to uphold those particular laws that are implemented, and as they are constructed, and as they are structured for enforcement,” Villalobos said. “Whatever comes up September 2016, we will enforce it.”


The goal at Texas State is to provide excellence in serving the needs of the diverse population of Texas.