Randy Britton

I'm a 25 year Navy veteran and expert pistol and rifle shot. I am not anti-gun and know what the 2nd Amendment says - we do not need students carrying around weapons on campus. My rationale for opposing this bill is straightforward. In recent years, firearms have become the number one cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearms surpassed motor vehicle crashes—which had previously held the top spot for decades—as the leading killer in 2020 and have remained in that position since. For the college-age population (typically defined as ages 18–24), the leading cause of death is unintentional injury, which accounts for nearly half of all fatalities in this age group. While "unintentional injury" is a broad medical category, when you look at the specific mechanisms or tools involved, firearms and drug poisonings (overdoses) are the most significant contributors. When looking at "mechanisms" of death across all categories (accidents, homicides, and suicides), firearms remain the leading lethal tool for people aged 18–25. For college-age adults, firearms play a critical and increasingly dominant role in suicide. While many people assume suicide is driven primarily by the intent to die, public health experts emphasize that access to firearms is often the deciding factor in whether an attempt is fatal. The most significant role of a firearm is its "case fatality rate." It is the most lethal method of suicide attempt, leaving almost no room for intervention once the trigger is pulled. Firearm Attempts: Approximately 90% result in death. Research shows that 90% of people who survive a suicide attempt do not go on to die by suicide later in life. Because firearms are so lethal, they often rob young adults of this "second chance" at recovery. Students who express concern about the presence of firearms on or near campus are up to 42% more likely to report suicidal ideation. Finally, according to FBI data, it is extremely rare for an armed civilian to successfully intervene in an active shooter event. Experts suggest that the high-stress, chaotic nature of these events can lead to "friendly fire" or make it difficult for law enforcement to distinguish the "good guy" from the "bad guy." I strongly oppose HB 1793 and urge all members to vote against it. -Randy Britton, CAPT USN (Ret.)