Florida’s long-standing effort to intensify the existing “buffer zones” around schools to include actions not directly related to the educational institutions has now been finalized.
As upstanding gun owners recognize, the path to enhanced public safety is not stripping Second Amendment rights away from law-abiding citizens. No, it’s through strong laws with penalties attached that target violent criminals to get them off the street.
Lawmakers settled on details to protect some of the most vulnerable citizens.
Illegally discharging a firearm near school carries strong penalties
Shooting a firearm on school grounds or within 1,000 feet is now a second-degree felony. A conviction can bring a sentence of up to 15 years in state custody.
There’s also a new jam in the revolving door of justice to prevent those charged with this crime from simply walking free. A person arrested for discharging a weapon in the buffer zone is not eligible for immediate release or quick bail.
Instead, they must remain in custody until they appear before a judge for a bond hearing. And this being Florida, safeguards for law-abiding citizens, such as carve-outs for legal self-defense actions and nearby private property owners, are included.
Schoolkids should not be collateral damage for violent criminals
State Rep. Michelle Salzman (R) noted that shooters do not care that they commit heinous crimes near buildings where hundreds or thousands of children are studying.
“The shootings are not related to the schools, but they had no boundaries,” Salzman declared. “They didn’t care that it was across the street, and they were just shooting at people. Kids could have been walking home from school. They could have been on the playground and caught a stray bullet.”
The new law does not stop at high school graduation.
Public colleges and universities can now allow vetted, trained faculty and staff to carry concealed weapons on campus, adding another layer of security to a high-value target for wrongdoers.
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