Prof. Megan Walsh, Chad Nowlan ’24, and the Gun Violence Prevention Clinic Mentioned in the Minnesota Daily about the Jan. 11 Shooting Threat

Professor Megan Walsh, Chad Nowlan ’24, and the Gun Violence Prevention Clinic were mentioned in the Minnesota Daily about the Jan. 11 shooting threat. Professor Walsh said violent threats, like that from Jan. 11, can lead to trauma even when physical attacks do not occur and that the “troubling reality” is that security measures can not guarantee safety. She added that the best way to prevent gun violence is by restricting access to firearms for individuals who would use them illegally. The University’s weapon policy restricts access to guns and other dangerous weapons for all students, staff, faculty and visitors on University property, barring law enforcement and firearms that are stored legally inside cars. Nowlan was quoted by the Daily saying, “For me personally, guns don’t really have a place in any educational institution.” He added that the exception for weapons that are safely stored in cars is a fair nod to gun owners’ rights. A bill proposed in the state legislature last year would have required safe storage for all firearms and ammunition and not following the law would have made violators ineligible for gun ownership. “Safe storage is, I would say, one of the hot topics in gun violence prevention at the moment,” Nowlan said.