At the University of Washington, some students are responding to a recent crime surge by carrying concealed weapons.

UW senior Stanley Luong, who has been robbed on four different occasions, has a concealed-pistol permit and carries a handgun.
 
“After something like that happens to you, you get really paranoid … and having a gun helps you move on,” Luong said. “You feel safer … like you’re in control of the situation or have some control if something happens.”

Luong created the Facebook group “University of Washington Campus Vigilantes,” a group of students with the stated intent to patrol campus with their concealed weapons. The group was deleted by Facebook administrators within 48 hours.
 
Senior Luis Garcia, a concealed-pistol-permit holder and member of the former Facebook group, said that he contacted authorities after being robbed on Greek Row in August 2008 and waited 20 minutes for an officer to respond.

“The police will never be there,” Luong said. “It will take them at least, like, three or four minutes before they can get there, and by that time, the robbers are gone. It’s all about taking the law into your own hands and doing the things the police aren’t doing.”

Currently, the Washington Administrative Code prohibits the possession or use of weapons on campus.


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