Virginia Tech Shooting Survivor, Brady Campaign Plan to Fight Guns on Texas College Campuses

Dec 15, 2010

Washington, D.C. - The Brady Campaign today announced that it and Colin Goddard, an Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs at the Brady Campaign, would be active in opposing concealed weapons on campuses in Texas and other states.  Over the past two years, Brady and Goddard, who survived being shot four times at Virginia Tech University, have worked to defeat similar proposals in states like Texas, Missouri, Louisiana and Virginia.

Just like it did in 2009, the Texas Legislature in 2011 plans to initiate a high-profile battle over measures to force loaded, hidden guns onto college campuses and universities. David Simpson, a newly elected Texas legislator, has promised to introduce a bill to require colleges and universities to allow people with concealed carry permits to bring guns on campus. Investigations of Texas’ concealed weapon permitting system in the past have shown hundreds of people with felony convictions still holding these permits.

Students, parents, university, law enforcement officials, and the Brady Campaign are ramping up their efforts to defeat the upcoming legislation.

"Gun lobbyists apparently feel they have the votes to pass this dangerous legislation to put guns in the hands of students and faculty, but they have yet to do so in any state. There are good reasons why," said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign. "Twenty-two states have rejected this legislation because it’s reckless and will make our children less safe. We will fight to defeat this legislation in Texas once again."

Goddard, 25, has been on the staff of the Brady Campaign since June of this year. He was shot four times during the Virginia Tech Massacre on April 16, 2007 and recently underwent another surgery to remove bullet fragments.

“I was at the right place at the right time at Virginia Tech - I was in class, where I belonged,” Goddard said. “The problem that day was a gun on campus.  Another gun -- or 10 or 20 more guns -- would not have been the solution. I hope smart Texas legislators will again reject this proposal.”

Goddard is the subject of a documentary, Living for 32, that has been accepted for competition in the Short Films category at the Sundance Film Festival. In the summer of 2009, as an intern at the Brady Campaign, Goddard took a hidden camera to gun shows across the country, including one in Austin, Texas, to show how easy it is for dangerous people to purchase firearms without a background check.

The producer of the documentary is Maria Cuomo Cole, who blogged about Colin and guns on campus on the Huffington Post recently.
 
Goddard wrote about guns on campus in the Dallas Morning News in April 2009.

###

The Brady Campaign is the nation's largest citizens' lobby to prevent gun violence. We represent the voice of the overwhelming majority of Americans who are tired of living with the constant tragedy of gun violence and are in favor of strong laws and policies that will save lives. We are the light that exposes politicians who are putting the American people at risk, empowering the American people to hold them accountable for decisions and actions that undermine public safety.

We are driven by the focused vision of a nation where all Americans are safe at home, at work, at school, and in our communities.

Dan Gross is the President of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. A photo and more information about Dan Gross is available here.

For more insight on gun violence prevention, follow The Brady Blog, Facebook Page and Twitter Account.

Brady News Releases are available via RSS