A criminal justice instructor in Harrisburg managed to stop a stabbing in progress, but you know, guns in schools by LTC holders is just crazy!
Criminal justice instructor Michael Minto was leaving the Kaplan Career Institute in Swatara Twp. on Monday night when he spotted a man being stabbed, police said.
Minto pulled his gun and ordered the attacker to drop his knife, police said. The attacker fled, and authorities said Minto’s actions likely saved the life of Dillon Mitchell, 30, of Harrisburg.
If Minto had not intervened, “We might be talking about someone who died,” said Deputy Swatara Twp. Police Chief Jason D. Umberger. “There are not many citizens out there that would have the courage to take that action.”
How is this possible? I thought only trained police officers were capable of this kind of thing? And at a school? The devil you say! Granted, this is a private post-secondary vocational institution, so carrying is legal there. In Pennsylvania, schools are a grey area. They aren’t explicitly forbidden by the Uniform Firearms Act, but weapons in primary and secondary schools are forbidden with an exception for “other lawful purposes,” which would presumably cover self-defense, but I don’t think anyone wants to be the test case there. It’s legal to carry on college campuses in Pennsylvania, but most universities forbid the practice by policy, much like employers do.
UPDATE: I should point out that licensed carry is a grey area. While it is legal to open carry in Pennsylvania, it is not legal to open carry within 1000 feet of a school without an LTC because of the federal Gun Free School Zones Act, which makes an exception for state permits, but does not make a general exception. It’s my opinion that the Gun Free School Zones Act is unconstitutional on both Tenth Amendment grounds and Second Amendment grounds, and was thrown out on the former previously, but Congress rewrote it. Want to be the test case?
I guess the next logical step for the Demotards in Congress would be to propose the federal “Knife Free School Zones” act, right?
Due to AK going “no permit required” there’s a whole bunch of Federal criminals running around up here.
Might be time to see if our new junior Senator (Begich D-AK) would introduce a bill or amendment to eliminate the 1,000′ rule and/or change the law to mirror Park Carry.
There was a gun on campus? Where’s the bloody massacre?
I’d be the perfect test case. I live in CO and can legally open carry but the way they’ve set up the laws I can’t get a CCW. I also can’t get a drivers license so I have to walk everywhere(they have a law that states you can’t open carry on public transportation) . My condo complex is within 1000′ of school grounds. Basically, if I leave my house while open carrying to walk to the store, I’m breaking federal law. Where are my 2A rights now?
The fact that this guy is a Criminal justice instructor makes me suspect that he has a LE background. Don’t peg your story too tight to “just and ordinary citizen.”
Good point Hank, although only a couple of the Justice professors at my school have any LE (or legal) background. Most are academics; sociologists, criminologists, psychologists etc.