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AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Gun ban will have little effect on campus

Correction appended

The historic overturn of the District’s handgun ban this summer has had sweeping implications for the city and the nation, but it is unlikely to bring about any changes on the GW campus.

The Supreme Court repealed D.C.’s 32-year handgun ban in June, and residents were allowed to buy guns on Tuesday. The District does not currently have any gun stores, and the only licensed dealer is based in Anacostia.

Andrew Breza, co-president of Colonial Militia, an unofficial gun club on campus, said he does not know any GW students who plan to buy guns now that the Supreme Court overturned the ban.

“There’s no huge shift towards our members buying guns,” said Breza, a senior. “At the point where D.C. law is, most people I know wouldn’t go through the trouble to have a firearm.”

Although the overturn of the gun ban makes it possible for many GW students to potentially possess and purchase guns in the District, the University does not plan to change its gun policies, University spokeswoman Tracy Schario said.

“We don’t allow weapons in residence halls,” Schario said.

The current D.C. gun regulations are under temporary legislation, and the firearm laws remain unsettled. A bill being debated in Congress this week would make it easier for residents to purchase weapons and virtually abolish the registration requirements.

This article has been changed to reflect the following correction: (September 11, 2008)

Due to an editing error, Tracy Schario was quoted saying, “So even if students legally registered and owned a gun, they would face disciplinary action if the weapon was found.” She did not say the quote.

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