Fight or flight? Intended behavior in a school shooting among students who support or oppose concealed campus carry

Abstract

Colleges across the country have considered or permitted policies that allow students to carry weapons on campus. While scholarship has examined opinions about these laws, we know little about how students intend to carry on campus. For instance, would students proactively intervene or is carrying a last resort? This study uses in-depth interviews with students who support or oppose concealed campus carry to explore how they would approach an active shooter situation. Results show that both groups prioritize escape versus seeking confrontation, and while some students have unrealistic expectations about intervening in an active shooter situation, many students who wish to carry have serious misgivings about their abilities to neutralize a shooter. We conclude by discussing the policy implications for campus security.