Following a fatal shooting involving far-right activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university, a recently passed state bill that permits individuals with concealed-carry permits to carry firearms on college campuses has drawn heightened scrutiny. Beyond this campus-specific provision, Utah has allowed for permitless open and concealed carry of weapons statewide since 2021, and it is among 29 states that permit concealed firearms without a permit. The state also does not implement Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), commonly known as red-flag laws, which typically allow for the temporary removal of firearms by court order.
While a law exists in Utah to address individuals in crisis regarding firearm possession, it requires them to self-identify within the federal background check system. Brandon del Pozo, an assistant professor of medicine and health policy and former police chief, emphasized that the deterrence effect of concealed carry is primarily applicable to “rational actors” and may prove inadequate against grievance-driven or politically motivated violence.
Source: www.theguardian.com