Echoing Malkin's blog, Gibson and Napolitano lamented VA Tech ban on handguns

Special Programs Guns & Public Safety

Written by Ben Armbruster

Published


In the wake of a deadly shooting rampage that killed over 30 people on the campus of Virginia Tech, host John Gibson asked on the April 16 edition of Fox News' The Big Story: “So, theoretically, in this lecture hall where all 31 were killed, there could have been someone with a carry permit carrying their gun to shoot the shooter?” Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano replied: “No,” adding, “Virginia lets you carry a gun at a gas station or a bank or a stadium, but not on a college campus, where you may protect kids.”

Napolitano and Gibson's comments echo those of right-wing pundit Michelle Malkin, who, citing an op-ed written by a Virginia Tech spokesperson, noted on her weblog that the university prohibits handguns. She then quoted a weblog post from “Andrew's Dad,” who wrote: “Just imagine if students were armed. We no longer need to imag[in]e what will happen when they are not armed.” Malkin also quoted an email from "[r]eader Kevin" who claimed: “Imagine if sensible CCW [Concealed Carry Weapon] laws allowed people to defend themselves, this tragedy could have been avoided.”

From the April 16 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson:

GIBSON: Judge Napolitano is also here with us. Judge has been looking into the law. They're -- people in Virginia have carry permits.

NAPOLITANO: Virginia is one the easiest states in the Union for anyone without a felony conviction, who's over the age of 21, and was a permanent resident of the state, to get a license to own and carry a concealed weapon. Meaning, you have it under your jacket, under your garment -- no one knows you have it.

GIBSON: So, theoretically, in this lecture hall where all 31 were killed, there could have been someone with a carry permit carrying their gun to shoot the shooter?

NAPOLITANO: No, because the same people that just dropped the ball, as Bo just described, that allowed 32 additional people to die, also said: “Virginia lets you carry a gun at a gas station or a bank or a stadium, but not on a college campus, where you may protect kids.” So nobody has guns there except the college campus police. The professors --

GIBSON: And the criminal.

NAPOLITANO: And the criminal. Professors don't have guns, and the students don't have guns, even though they could lawfully carry them as soon as they get off campus.