2008 Woodie Awards
Officials to post 'No gun' signs
Doug Graham/Collegio Editor in Chief
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: Front Page
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"No guns allowed" signs will soon be posted all over campus, a decision made after Pittsburg State officials waded through murky concealed carry legislation.
The decision to post the signs comes after the Virginia Tech shootings, and more recently, the September arrest of former student Nathan Backs on felony threat charges, which also involved guns being found in his vehicle and knives in his dorm room.
"It was probably the straw that broke the camel's back for us, more than anything," said Darron Farha, university attorney, referring to the Backs case.
Farha says that having guns on campus is already against school policy, and is just cause for expulsion or other punitive measures. But with the new signs in place, having weapons on campus, whether they be firearms or knives over 4 inches long, will be a misdemeanor crime punishable by fine.
The date the signs will be posted could not be determined as of press time.
Farha says that part of the reason the signs weren't up already is that state laws concerning the matter were so unclear that the university didn't realize it needed to post them.
"Because of the complicated nature of this, (Backs) kind of fell into the little bitty window that wasn't resolved," Farha said.
While the Crawford County Attorney's office elected to charge Backs with criminal threat in connection with comments made to two students in his dorm, county attorney John Gutierrez declined to file misdemeanor charges of bringing weapons to a state building, in part because the university did not have the signage posted.
On Sept. 3, Backs was arrested after university police found a shotgun, a cache of ammunition and more than a half-dozen knives in his car and dorm room.
Farha says that there are a few statutes relating to concealed carry laws in Kansas. One law says having guns on state property is illegal, but only if signs are posted. However, another says that guns on state property are, without exception, illegal, even if no signs are posted.
The decision to post the signs comes after the Virginia Tech shootings, and more recently, the September arrest of former student Nathan Backs on felony threat charges, which also involved guns being found in his vehicle and knives in his dorm room.
"It was probably the straw that broke the camel's back for us, more than anything," said Darron Farha, university attorney, referring to the Backs case.
Farha says that having guns on campus is already against school policy, and is just cause for expulsion or other punitive measures. But with the new signs in place, having weapons on campus, whether they be firearms or knives over 4 inches long, will be a misdemeanor crime punishable by fine.
The date the signs will be posted could not be determined as of press time.
Farha says that part of the reason the signs weren't up already is that state laws concerning the matter were so unclear that the university didn't realize it needed to post them.
"Because of the complicated nature of this, (Backs) kind of fell into the little bitty window that wasn't resolved," Farha said.
While the Crawford County Attorney's office elected to charge Backs with criminal threat in connection with comments made to two students in his dorm, county attorney John Gutierrez declined to file misdemeanor charges of bringing weapons to a state building, in part because the university did not have the signage posted.
On Sept. 3, Backs was arrested after university police found a shotgun, a cache of ammunition and more than a half-dozen knives in his car and dorm room.
Farha says that there are a few statutes relating to concealed carry laws in Kansas. One law says having guns on state property is illegal, but only if signs are posted. However, another says that guns on state property are, without exception, illegal, even if no signs are posted.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Carl L.
posted 11/08/07 @ 8:31 PM CST
I still don't understand how posting "no guns allowed" signs stops suicidal killers. Would anyone like to explain how this "sign" thing works?
James T.
posted 11/09/07 @ 8:49 AM CST
Welcome to the club. I have never understood such backward thinking.
I can tell you one item that suicidal killers have in common with us and that is that they don't like anyone shooting back. (Continued…)
Bruce
posted 11/10/07 @ 7:08 AM CST
WOW! Now why hasn't anyone thought of that before?? Simply brilliant! I can see it now, an armed thug or a group of terrorists come to the college, see the sign on the door and turn away dejectedly! Signs. (Continued…)
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