Washington State Law Ends Campus Firearm Storage Program

A recently passed law in the state of Washington will effectively end a campus firearm storage program at Washington State University.

According to a report in the university’s student newspaper, the campus police will no longer be permitted to store firearms for students. The new state law, Initiative 1639, prohibits the purchase of a semi-automatic assault rifle by anyone under the age of 21. The law also mandates advanced background checks for those purchasing a gun.

Washington State University announced this week that it will be forced to end its campus firearm storage program as a result of the new law. The law would force the campus police department to run a background check each time a student came to check out their gun. Students, however, will have the alternative option of storing their firearm with local gun clubs.

“We’re disappointed that we can’t provide a valuable service anymore,” Steven Hansen, the assistant chief of the Washington State University campus police said. “Everyone I’ve talked to has also expressed disappointment, but they’ve understood why.”

The campus gun storage program allowed students to store any gun that was deemed legal by the state. The campus police department estimates that they held approximately 50-70 guns at any given time for students.

Breitbart News reported in September 2017 that states that allow campus carry have seen less school shootings that states that do not permit guns on campus. Studies suggest that concealed carry permit holders are typically law-abiding citizens.