CARSON CITY Nev. — Supporters of a bill to allow employees of school districts and Nevada’s higher education system to carry guns on campus if they have a concealed weapon permit said Monday the issue is about responding quickly to imminent threats.
But opponents countered that having more guns would make campuses less safe, and that there are already procedures for employees with permits to ask permission of administrators to carry guns under special circumstances.
Sen. Joe Hardy, the sponsor of SB223, said that, when it comes to mass shootings, “we know that 30 seconds is fatal.”
“This is not about the Second Amendment rights, this is about the reality of how long it takes to respond,” said Hardy, R-Boulder City.
Other supporters echoed Hardy’s reasoning.
“It allows citizens to be the first line of defense for school shootings,” said Matthew Yealy, a citizen. “The police cannot be everywhere.”
Added Greg Ross, “I think a shootout is far preferable than a massacre.”
