EDIT: With the safety on

Two Gonzaga University seniors have been placed on probation by the school’s administration because one of them brandished a firearm to protect their school-owned apartment from an intruder. Although the gun was not fired and nobody was physically harmed, the students were still punished because they violated Gonzaga’s policy for weapons on campus.

University officials, however, are reviewing the policy because the students appealed their petition to fight the punishment, according to USA Today on Monday.

Dan McIntosh, 21, one of the residents, has a concealed weapons permit for the gun, and did not know it was in violation of school policy at the time. In Washington, residents with a valid concealed pistol license may carry a loaded weapon unless they are in densely occupied areas such as sports arenas. Residents with up-to-date gun permits can also open-carry a pistol in public. The law does not prohibit guns on college campuses, but Gonzaga’s policy spells it out clearly.

“Students are not permitted to carry or own a weapon while living on school property,” Gonzaga University’s Student Conduct and Disciplinary System handbook reads. “If a student violates the drug, alcohol or weapons policies, they may be subject to academic probation, losing financial aid, losing the opportunity to study abroad and/or restricting the student’s ability to represent the school at public or private events.”

Like Gonzaga, Boston University clearly spells out their policy.

“The possession of weapons of any kind, including replicas, is strictly prohibited on campus,” BU’s policy reads. “This includes, but is not limited to: firearms, all chemical sprays, knives and martial arts weapons (for example, nunchaku).”

McIntosh and his roommate, Erik Fagan, say they used appropriate force to ward off the intruder — and they are correct. They were able to intimidate the intruder with the gun without having to use physical force to keep him outside. Because both students exercised good judgment, they should not be punished.

Yes, they broke the university’s gun policy, but the punishment is excessive. Not only is their academic record tarnished by the incident and their financial aid at risk, but unless their records remain exclusively within Gonzaga, these otherwise law-abiding students have been brandished with a “violated gun policy” stamp when they apply for graduate schools.

McIntosh said he was not aware of the policy, so the university also has a responsibility to make the regulations and restrictions on campus clearer and more accessible. Perhaps McIntosh would not have brought a gun to campus, but then again, the intruder may have gotten into the apartment otherwise.

However, in a country where there are 89 guns per 100 Americans, this case at GU is an outlier. In Detroit on Nov. 2, a woman approached a home to allegedly ask for help after a car accident. She was shot on the stoop because she made the homeowner nervous, according to the Associated Press.

Is there space for guns on campus, though? In our opinion, guns should very well be prohibited from places where students are under an obscene amount of stress and spend a majority of their time anxious about papers and midterms. Gonzaga and BU both rightfully restrict weapons, whether they are firearms, knives or chemical, for the overall safety of the students.

With the constant stream of mass shootings littering the country over the past few months, it’s hard to argue that schools are not prime targets for shooters. Packed dormitories, crowded dining halls and overflowing lecture halls have their emergency exits, but students are exceptionally vulnerable. Even in cases with self-defense, populated areas almost ensure an accidental discharge and an accidental hospital visit. Although McIntosh used his gun properly, dormitories are far too communal for a weapon, especially because so many people are uncomfortable with the sight of a gun.

Guns provide people with a false sense of security, and when a stranger approaches a home, guns also usually cause more damage than necessary. The feeling of safety of having a gun on college campus may be valid for some people, but for the college as a whole it is not worth the added threat it brings.