Recent gun use sparks interest in local regulations

Twice last week, gunshots have interrupted the calm in Bloomington and the surrounding area.

On March 22, IU freshman Kira Riley was found dead in her dorm room in the Gucker tower of Briscoe Quad. Police confirmed March 24 that a handgun was involved in the death, and IU Police Department Chief of Police Keith Cash told the Indiana Daily Student that all signs pointed to a suicide.

Only a few days later, 15-year-old middle school student Chance Jackson was shot by a fellow student on Martinsville West Middle School grounds. The alleged shooter, Michael Phelps, also 15, had been suspended from school and had been fighting with Jackson. Jackson was admitted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment.

Beverly Calender-Anderson, safe and civil cities director for the City of Bloomington, said guns are an issue in Bloomington, but no more than they are anywhere else.

“The City of Bloomington is always concerned about the safety of all of its residents, all of the students that are here,” Calender-Anderson said. “That includes any kind of safety issues, so guns, of course, are included in there.”

Bloomington Police Department Lt. William Parker said even though it’s not a common occurrence in Bloomington, handguns are still an issue of concern.
“I wouldn’t say it happens very much, but of course the thing about handguns or any guns is that if it happens just a little bit, it becomes serious,” Parker said.

Parker said Bloomington’s primary gun safety concerns are people carrying firearms without a permit and home safety, particularly when children can easily access weapons.

He said Bloomington also has a few cases each year of a person being reckless at a party or group situation, firing into the air or pulling out weapons to intimidate.

Both Bloomington and Martinsville have ordinances governing gun use within the city.
“There’s a city ordinance that says you cannot discharge a firearm in city limits,” Parker said. “That’s not a BB gun. It has to be something that has a cartridge that contains an explosive or propellant.”

Parker said there are also state laws that require permits to carry handguns but not air rifles or shotguns and federal laws that prevent people convicted with certain felonies from owning guns.

According to the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct, the University may discipline students for “Possession of any weapon or potential weapon on any university property contrary to law or university policy.”

IU Spokesman Larry MacIntyre said authorized police officers are also exempt from
that rule.

MacIntyre said the University is not focusing on the gun safety issue related to Riley’s death.

“The firearm angle is not what concerns us as much as that we had a student who was distraught,” he said. “I think a lot of people wish we could’ve recognized it sooner.”
MacIntyre said Residential Programs and Services works with each resident assistant to prevent suicides.

“They’re all trying hard to be more alert and to be more observant,” he said. “We’ve not had many problems with guns over the years, fortunately.”

The incident in Martinsville involved similar restrictions on gun use; guns are not allowed in schools anywhere.

Parker said he’s not concerned about a similar event happening in Bloomington.
“We certainly hope we don’t have to deal with something like that but do have training as to the steps we would take if something like that were to happen in our jurisdiction,” he said.

Parker said it would be difficult to be certain guns were not entering schools because it would require installing metal detectors that all students would have to walk through to enter the building, a precaution he said is unnecessary.

“Our local high schools have steps in place to prevent people from just walking in without checking in,” he said.

Both Bloomington and University officials said they aren’t as concerned about gun use as they are about the motives behind it.

“I think guns are a method. They are not the reason for some of these issues,” Calender-Anderson said.

She said the city has a suicide prevention coalition that looks into the reasons behind suicide and works to discourage it as a course of action. IU Counseling and Psychological Services is also available for students struggling with depression or
suicidal feelings.

“When you look at the suicide, of course the availability of the gun speaks to the method. It doesn’t speak to why a young woman felt she needed to take her own life,” Calender-Anderson said. “Wanting to maintain a safe environment for people wanting to come to Bloomington is of the utmost importance to the city administration.”