DeSantis Signs Law Allowing Armed Faculty on Florida College Campuses
Gov. DeSantis expands Florida’s guardian program to colleges after FSU shooting that killed two during final exams.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Friday authorizing trained college and university faculty to carry firearms on campus, expanding a security program that began in K-12 schools following the 2018 Parkland shooting.
The new law, HB 757, extends Florida’s guardian program to higher education institutions one year after a gunman killed two people and wounded five others at Florida State University during final exams.
“It puts the bad guys on the defense — they don’t know who’s going to be able to offer them resistance,” DeSantis said during a Miami press conference. “We’ve taken this more seriously than probably anyone else has … in our state’s history.”
Guardian Program Requirements
Faculty members seeking to become campus guardians must complete 144 hours of training, with 132 hours focused specifically on firearms instruction. College and university presidents will have the authority to appoint guardians at their institutions, though participation in the program remains voluntary.
The guardian program was initially created for public K-12 schools in 2018 following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 dead. The Parkland tragedy unfolded while a sheriff’s deputy delayed confronting the gunman for nearly five minutes. DeSantis later removed the deputy from office.
FSU Shooting Prompted Legislative Action
The legislation comes 13 months after 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner shot to death two people and wounded five others outside FSU’s Student Union building. The attack occurred during final exams when the campus was crowded with students.
Police shot Ikner in the jaw three minutes after he opened fire. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case.
“Sadly but undeniably, institutions of learning have become targets of violence in our state and other states,” said Senate sponsor Don Gaetz, a Republican from Crestview, in a written statement.
“As parents and grandparents, we want our students to be safe and secure when they are on campus. This legislation ensures our institutions will use commonsense safeguards as well as high-tech systems to prevent violence where possible and respond quickly and effectively when needed.”
Enhanced Security Measures
Despite the rapid response from law enforcement at FSU, lawmakers determined additional security reinforcements were necessary. The new law includes provisions for enhanced campus security measures beyond the guardian program.
The legislation allows schools to implement both personnel-based security through trained guardians and technological systems to prevent and respond to campus violence.
Florida’s approach to campus security represents one of the most comprehensive state responses to school shootings in recent years, building on lessons learned from both the Parkland high school attack and the FSU incident.
