Florida college changes policy, now allows guns in vehicles

Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) has changed its firearms policy after a student shot a man in the school’s parking lot last Thursday.

Landrick Hamilton, a 24-year-old chemical technology student, claims he shot another man in self-defense. The two were apparently in a fight when Hamilton fired on 25-year-old non-student Amado Contreras. A third man was involved in the fight but was not shot

Contreras was hospitalized and all three men are claiming self-defense.

According to EFSC spokesman John Glisch, Hamilton has been invited back to class and will not face disciplinary action despite the incident taking place before the change in policy. However, Hamilton still faces the possibility of criminal charges according to local news accounts.

Previously, the college did not allow handguns on campus despite an appeals court ruling in December, 2013 recognizing students’ rights to keep them secured in their vehicles. On Monday, the school was also sued by Florida Carry, Inc., the same group that won the court victory in December over the University of North Florida. The group's executive director, Sean Caranna, told Campus Reform that it has not yet seen a revised policy from EFSC.

Glisch told Campus Reform that the decision to change the policy was unrelated to the shooting or lawsuit. EFSC's legal counsel had advised the school to wait before changing its policy on the belief that the court ruling would be appealed. When that appeal didn't materialize, the school decided on Friday to make the change.

"We expect to have the new policy in place in the next couple of days," Glisch told Campus Reform.

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