Liberty University, a well-known evangelical college in Lynchburg, Virginia, is slated to open a state-of-the-art, on-campus gun range next fall in an effort to promote gun ownership and create additional security at the school.
While the university already has a pistol range, the facility is reportedly outdated, so officials at the school unveiled plans for the new training center at a Dec. 5 Campbell County’s Planning Commission meeting, the Christian Post reported.
“Concurrent to discussions related to the improvement and relocation of the university pistol range, interest has also arisen in developing a nationally recognized, fulle-scale shooting, training and competition center,” reads a document given to the commission. “This proposed center would accommodate all varieties of pistol, rifle, and shotgun sports and disciplines, for the benefit of LU students, staff and the general public.”
It’s a proposed state-of-the-art project that will cost $1 million to construct, and one that Liberty University president Jerry Falwall Jr. said will be among the most sprawling and large-scale ranges of its kind on any college campus in the nation, according to the Washington Post.
“This is one of the examples of how Liberty is unique and different,” Falwell told the outlet. “We really had the perfect setting for our own competitive shooting range.”
Among the motivations for the creation of the massive firearms center is intense student interest in firearms, though anyone familiar with the culture at Liberty University shouldn’t be too surprised. Already, faculty, staff and students are permitted to conceal carry on campus, with the university offering up a free course for those looking to secure a permit.
“We have a very pro-Second Amendment student body,” Falwell told the Post.
But that’s not the only motivation for creating the training center, as Falwell also spoke about “active shooter” scenarios as well as the disadvantage he believes Virginia universities put themselves at by becoming “gun-free zones.” His new gun program, he hopes, can help make Liberty University more safe in the event that a shooter does come on campus.
“(Gun-free zones are) where the terrorists are most likely to strike,” he told the Post. “(Students and families) don’t want to see anything happen here like at Virginia Tech, where nobody was able to fire back.”
Officials at Liberty University met with the National Rifle Association in an effort to try and ensure that the center safely operates. Find out more about Liberty University’s planned on-campus shooting range.
(H/T: Washington Post)
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