Concealed Carry on College Campuses On April 16, 2007, one of the deadliest shootings the United States has seen occurred on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The fatalities included thirty-two students and teachers. The shooter was a senior English major from the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Tech, Seugn Hui Cho. The violence began early that morning, when he shot a female freshman and a male resident from his dormitory. He then fled the scene. Police arrived not long after the incident, and they interviewed close friends of the two victims as possible suspects in the murder, Cho was not one their radar yet. At around 9:40, Cho opened fire in a classroom building using a .22-caliber handgun and a 9-millimeter handgun with hundreds of rounds. He went through multiple classrooms and killed many people before committing suicide, approximately 10 minutes after the attack began. 27 students and five teachers died because of Cho’s decisions and actions. (history.com) Many people have argued that, if students and staff had been allowed concealed carry weapons permits, this attack may have been prevented or lives could have been saved. Concealed carry on college campuses causes an increased chance of confrontation, this can be exacerbated by substance abuse by the permit holder. It also increases a person’s chance of being the victim of a theft or break-in in college dorm rooms. Concealed carry may lead to higher suicide rates, along with safety issues and increased shootings. Concealed carry should not be allowed on college campuses. With an increase in people wanting concealed carry permits allowed on college campuses across the country, there is an increase in confrontation and issues that can be traced back to substance abuse. According to ProCon.org, an individual carrying a firearm for self-defense purposes is four and a half times more likely to be shot during an assault than an individual not carrying a firearm. As more students on college campuses have a concealed carry weapon the country is seeing an increase in crime and fatalities. For example, at a party where college residents are in attendance a person holds up a firearm, the chance of another person with a concealed carry weapon stopping the offender without harming themselves or others around them is unlikely. All colleges deal with party issues annually. These parties may consist of loud music and games, but also drugs and alcohol. Illegal substances and over indulging in alcohol leads to high emotions and bad decisions. If the person who had one too many drinks has a concealed carry permit and has a weapon on them, that person may make a bad decision that may end the life of others as well as change that person forever. Substance abuse and confrontation causes many deaths and injuries at colleges and will only be made worse with concealed carry weapons. Additionally, if concealed carry were allowed on campuses, there is a higher risk of break-ins and theft. The theft rates at college campuses are already high. According to College Parents of America, there are, on average, over 11,000 robberies and burglaries on college campuses across the country each year. From 2000 to 2004 there were 22,349 incidents involving theft or robbery in some form on college campuses. (FBI) If colleges were to allow concealed carry, the theft rate would go up. There are people everywhere who steal guns. Campus dorm rooms are an easy target because people can break in or even be invited in readily. If friends of a student with a concealed carry permit are invited into that students’ room, there is a possibility of any invited visitors taking an available weapon. The victim of the theft would have to call the police and report the incident. Then, college officials and police have a missing gun to find and a person to track down before both the gun and person disappear, knowing that the gun will most likely be used in another crime since it was obtained illegally to begin with. The break-in and theft rates would go up if concealed carry is allowed on college campuses. Furthermore, college campuses are ripe