Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. announced Wednesday that he is rescinding the gun ban on campus dorms, terminating the school's only firearm-free zone.
"I take very seriously my responsibility to keep you safe in an increasingly dangerous world," Falwell told a crowd of several thousand students at the evangelical Christian school,
The Washington Post reported.
The new measure, which comes less than a week after Falwell urged students during his weekly convocation speech to obtain concealed carry permits, was met with applause.
"I've always thought, if more good people had concealed-carry permits then we could end those Muslims before they walked in killing . . . Let's teach them a lesson if they ever show up here," Falwell said Friday, referencing the recent massacre in San Bernardino.
Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, the university has allowed students, faculty, and staff who've obtained the proper state-issued permits to carry concealed weapons on campus since 2011, reportedly in response to the nearby shooting massacre at Virginia Tech. The weapons were not allowed in residence halls, however, and had to be stored in cars or other secure areas.
Falwell said that many students felt the distance from their dorm to their car or other storage area was too great, and often requested that they be allowed to bring them into their sleeping quarters.
"So we’re making that change at your request," Falwell explained this week,
NBC News reported. "We must also look out for each other, report suspicious activity, and be alert."
These days, Falwell himself carries a pistol. He obtained it in 2013 after receiving his permit.
All told, nearly a thousand people at Liberty have concealed-carry permits.
Under Virginia state law, residents must be 21 or over to obtain a permit, so many freshman, sophomores, and juniors are not eligible to carry a weapon.
"I believe we have the safest college campus in America," said Quincy Thompson, 22, Liberty’s student body president. "We also have students who have been given the opportunity to defend themselves."
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