Handgun Debate Has History at Virginia Tech

While authorities have not confirmed that the gunman in today's horrific shooting at Virginia Tech was affiliated with the school, the topic of weapons possession at the Blacksburg university has been a political issue in the past.

As at most Virginia universities, firearms are banned on campus at Virginia Tech in most cases, regardless of whether the person possessing the gun has a concealed weapons permit. This came up in the Spring of 2005, when a student was disciplined for bringing a gun to class in spite of having a permit.

The incident touched off a legal dispute over whether a university has the legal authority to ban weapons, inspiring a member of the state House of Delegates, C. Todd Gilbert, a Shenandoah County Republican, to propose legislation that would prohibit universities in Virginia from imposing such restrictions. The measure quickly died in committee.

"Nothing short of like violence would have stopped that guy," Gilbert said today. "It's certainly done nothing but reinforce what I knew to be true, which was that gun laws and gun violations do not stop a committed criminal."