After a man was caught trying to sell weapons on campus and in light of campus shootings nationwide, UNM students are divided over whether they should be able to carry a gun for protection.
Lt. Pat Davis, UNM Police spokesman, said the department put 20-year-old Santos Gallegos, a former UNM student, under surveillance after receiving an anonymous tip in March that he was attempting to sell weapons on campus.
After a few weeks under surveillance, Gallegos approached an undercover officer with a gun and threatened him, Davis said.
Davis said police searched his home, recovered a gun and arrested him on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a handgun on March 11.
UNM is a gun-free zone, Davis said.
"Campus policy follows state law," he said. "People are not allowed to carry concealed weapons without a permit."
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But the New Mexico Concealed Handgun Carry Act prohibits even those with a concealed handgun license from carrying weapons on school premises.
Only police officers can carry concealed weapons on campus, Davis said.
UNM student Chris Perry said he wants to carry a gun on campus for protection.
"I'm not advocating turning the place into the Wild West," he said. "I should be able to protect myself and, God willing, protect somebody else."
Perry said he is concerned about the time it takes police to react to campus shootings.
"If somebody comes into a classroom and starts shooting, and I have a gun on me, I can respond," he said. "Cops can't be everywhere, but interested and concerned citizens are everywhere."
Student Melanie Unruh said guns don't belong on college campuses.
"Having more guns does not equal safety," she said. "It leaves more margins for error."
Unruh said a gun is only as safe as the person carrying it.
Davis said some of the dorm residents keep their weapons at the department and check them out to shoot on weekends. The department will also hold weapons for people who come to campus for athletic events, he said.
Davis said students should report to the department if they see any weapons on campus.
"If somebody knows of another person carrying a weapon, we want to know about it so we can keep campus safe," Davis said.
Student Micki Lucero said he is concerned about the mentality of those carrying weapons.
"People should be able to carry guns for protection, but you never know," she said. "I think people who want to carry a gun should be checked."
Student Andre Dungy said he is for a gun-free campus but worries about what could happen.
"With these recent school shootings, you don't want everyone to be totally helpless," he said. "Where I come from, you never put yourself out there to where you're a sitting duck."
