Students for Concealed Carry At Florida State is excoriating Florida State University President John Thrasher and Florida legislators who voted against campus carry in the wake of last week’s attack by a mentally ill former prosecutor* at the university’s Strozier Library. One student was left paralyzed by the attack, and another was wounded seriously enough to require hospitalization. The attacker was subsequently killed by responding police officers.

The group said that two students could have taken the attacker down before police arrived, but were denied the right to self-defense.

Students for Concealed Carry at Florida State notes in their release that two students had the opportunity to stop the attacker before police arrived, but they were disarmed by Florida’s criminal-friendly gun free zones.

“We have seen that the current “Gun-Free Zone” policies have done nothing to curb violence, both in our state and nationwide. As criminals don’t abide by these policies, they only serve to prevent victims from having the ability to defend themselves and their peers.

“This is highlighted by two FSU students, one of whom was a US Army Infantry combat veteran and had a clear shot at the shooter, the other is gunshot victim Nathan Scott who is a member of Students for Concealed Carry at FSU who was able to go and warn other students about the shooter despite his injury. Both of these individuals, in spite of having the training and skills necessary to end the shooting, were powerless to prevent it due to Florida’s laws.

The organization would for FSU President Thrasher to reexamine his opposition to campus carry now that the “gun free zone” policy he supporters is a proven failure.

Whether or not Thrasher approves, I suspect that concealed carry on Florida State’s campus has skyrocketed in the wake of the attack as students who are otherwise law-abiding citizens see the absurdity of a policy that puts their lives at risk.

* Bearing Arms does not name mass or spree killers (or those who try to be and fail).